


New life

by Lionessinthedark



Series: The fate of Khan Noonien Singh [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Earth, F/M, Klingon, M/M, Memories, Mystery, New Vulcan, Pon Farr, Qo'noS, Sadness, Tarsus IV, Vulcan Biology, Vulcan male physiologi, War, happiness, kronos - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-03-29 10:44:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13925496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lionessinthedark/pseuds/Lionessinthedark
Summary: This story happens between 'Star Trek into darkness' and 'Star trek beyond'. Khan is now on board the Enterprise and finding his role. A mystery from his past is solved in a very surprising way. And the proud star ship is reduced to be a bus, transporting passengers and goods for a while, with very surprising results. Results that will require every ounce of courage and sacrifice, they can muster, for some of the members of the crew. More tags will be added later.The story is a w.i.p., but the plot and the ending have been outlined. I hope you like the beginning......and I know. Bones and Khan is an unusual paring, but that is how it (almost) ended in the first part of this story.I am not English, so I apologize beforehand for my mistakes





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote here, in this story about Khan Noonien Singh: 'The truth?' by me 'Lionessinthedark'  
> (http://archiveofourown.org/works/4824209) that there might be something more. Here is the  
> beginning of it (and with a crossover to my story in the Sherlock fandom: 'One Mystery solved'  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/9813554)

This is in the universe of the alternate reality in “Star Trek”, “Star Trek into Darkness” and “Star Trek beyond”. But not totally. I have pushed the time-lines a bit to make my story fit. Khan’s back ground story is different too. He was not created in the 20th century, but almost 100 years later, like in my Khan story 'The truth' and he was the leader of one third of the Earth and fled with the remains of his people after the Eugenic Wars in the star ship “SS Botany Bay”, but later in time, compared to the film-series universe. And I have made the Klingons still having an empire with an emperor, who has the power alone. There is no Klingon High Council and no Counsellor.   
  
  


Khan was still created in a lab though and not abducted as a child from the streets of New Delhi (as he was in Alan Dean Foster’s background story).

And I do not own the characters. I just borrow them.

It is a different Universe compared to our reality. Maybe because of parallel universes?

 

This is some background information from the previous story about Khan. You can just skip it or eventually return to it. If you want to skip it, then go directly to chapter two.

 

Until WW1, the story on Earth is pretty much as in our version of the Universe but then it changed. The path of WW1 was more or less like in our world but the outcome was a bit different and old animosity wasn't solved....leading to WW2 beginning in 1938. The Soviet Union was fighting China, and a lot of countries in the Middle East were fighting towards Europe. Germany had been forced to pay an insane amount of money after WW1 and thus there had been a very good reason for one strong man to promise to 'make Germany great again'. So Germany had fought against a lot of countries in Europe and was fighting against the Soviet Union too. And came close to winning because the Soviet Union was occupied fighting China. Japan was fighting towards China too. Then the war stopped in 1944, when USA together with France and Great Britain dropped two atom-bombs in Japan. There were still some unhealed wounds remaining from WW2 even if the losers and winners met in Jalta and made peace. Brazil grew to be a strong country in the 1960'ties and began looking towards the other countries in South America in order to dominate them and in the 1980'ties the tension just got worse and worse.

 

 

And now I would suggest that you go to the link on the top and read the story in the Sherlock-verse. Not necessarily all of it. Maybe from chapter 35 and forward. And the part in chapter 25 where Hamish, Sherlock's son, writes a letter as a school essay. (And yes, Sherlock has a son, with Irene Adler, but you will have to read the whole story, to find out how that happened). But if you don't want to read that story, then just know that Sherlock had this son, Hamish, and that Hamish later became a doctor. Hamish was adopted by Mycroft, but often lived with John and Sherlock, who married and raised Rosie. The daughter that John and Mary had before Mary first disappeared and later died. I'm not going to tell more right now, but there is a connection between Hamish and the origin of Khan.

 

 

I would suggest that you then read the story following the other link, about Khan. Or you could just read this summary:

 

The frozen Khan was brought to New Vulcan together with the remaining rest of his frozen crew. Starship Enterprise had begun its 5 year journey in 2260, but was forced to turn around and return to Earth and New Vulcan, because new things had turned up regarding Section 31 and Marcus' abuse of Khan and his crew. Highly disturbing things and evidence were found on the internet, in hidden files and journals and in the remnants of the 'Archive' in London, and it was finally decided to thaw first Khan and let him face a fair trial this time, and then decide what should happen to his people.

 

And then the cryo-tubes began to stop working. The people in charge of the cryo-tubes managed to save the people inside by keeping them frozen and finally, as everything was ready for the trial and the officers from Enterprise were present, Khan was brought to trial at New Vulcan.

 

What he could tell the judges and the evidence that showed, that he had been infected with a 'Ceeti Eel' – a parasite from a foreign planet that would crawl into the brain of the victim and make its host extremely obedient, before it finally would kill him or her - made the judges clear him of any accusation. Just as the law within the Federation would demand: a person infected with a 'Ceeti Eel' could not be held responsible for any of his or hers doings and crimes. And thus Khan was a free man and he and his thawed people were now accepted citizens having all civil rights on New Vulcan, where the population of Vulcans invited them with open arms.

 

Khan settled down and made a lot of improvements on the planet. Always thinking like a warrior and making precautions against the harsh climate and the threat from both Romulans and Klingons, whose Empires were not many Warp-travel days away in space.

 

Khan had, with his knowledge about genetics, even found more Vulcans. It turned out that those Vulcans, leaving Vulcan so many years ago, before Surak, had become the 'Space Gypsies'. They had been travelling for millenniums, but had finally settled down on a planet. And even if the Vulcans had searched for them for a long time, they hadn't known that the lost members of their race had been right under their noses, as soon as Vulcans had visited Earth. The 'Space Gypsies' had settled down on Earth, had mingled with the population in Asia and had formed the Asian human variation of Homo Sapiens more than 9.000 years ago. In the 21st century humans had discovered a fragment of a jawbone and had been able to extract some DNA from a tooth. And found that all the Asian population had DNA that fitted with the DNA from that jawbone. They had called that jawbone-owner 'Denisovian'. Little knowing that it had belonged to their first Alien, a thinking and intelligent being from another planet, namely a Vulcan.

 

With Khan's knowledge and the fitting equipment, Khan had discovered that Hikaru Sulu and other people on the Enterprise had quite a few Vulcan genes in them......and that even he himself and a lot of other people on board the star-ship, carried them as well. Just as mostly the officers and higher ranking crew-members had an amount of Augment-genes in them. (But you will have to read the story about Khan, mentioned in the beginning here, to find out why)

 

And we left him in the end of the story, when he had just accepted to be a part of the crew on Starship Enterprise, after having lived for more than a year on New Vulcan.

 


	2. Passed!

After 3 months the USS Enterprise would be ready to launch - not entirely for her 5 years voyage, but for her travelling around in the closest star-systems, just to check if the reparations and the new instalments were functioning and working according to the plans.

And Khan was ready too. In those 3 months he had found someone to look after his house, someone to take over all his jobs as keeper of the ‘museum’ or rather the ‘stock-house’ and as a farmer and all his other unofficial jobs and someone, who would continue his work with the shelters in the deserts. At the same time he had managed to make it as far as 'lieutenant commander', only one rank below his “false” rank as commander from before.

 

The last exam could be made on board and Khan had closed his eyes and smiled as he was flown to the waiting USS Enterprise, which was in orbit around New Vulcan after having brought another bunch of Earthlings from Earth to New Vulcan. Another group, who wanted to live in that society instead of on Earth. He travelled in one of the shuttles, carrying supplies for the ship, that was send off from the surface of New Vulcan. And maybe it was unnecessary sentiment, but all three uniform-shirts in gold, red and blue were tucked into his bag. They were not necessary as the replicators of course new that he was allowed all three colours and would make them for him in the exact right size. But he had brought them with him never the less.

 

No one greeted him as he left the landing path on the star ship and found his way to his assigned room on the officer's deck, but he hadn't expected that either. No one could know which shuttle he would take and he could wait to see them all at the briefing later that day. Maybe he would even have some time to study a bit, before he would be expected to work in his assigned field. The first task would be to work with Scotty on the improvements of the motors and the warp-core.

 

Khan opened the door to his room by placing his hand on the plate beside the door. He went in and looked around. This was definitely better than being in the holding cells. His room was divided in two. The first part was more or less looking like a living room with several chairs and desks, and a place for his studies. Some of his things had been moved to ship already so the shelves were occupied by old-fashioned books and a few other items from his home on New Vulcan.

 

The second part of this rather large room was the sleeping area, that could be closed off from the living area by sliding doors. Khan had been surprised when he saw how much space officers had on board a starship, and it had been even more on board the Vengeance, as the crew there was even smaller and the ship much bigger. But he new just as well, that in emergencies and evacuation-situations, his rooms would be able to give living-space for more than 20 people, including adequate places to sleep. Normally only 20% of the ship would be occupied by humans and other species. A lot of room even for ensigns...and even more room for passengers.

 

The last part of his accommodations was the bathroom. With showers with real water. That had been an improvement from the old design, where even officers had to use the sonic showers. That improvement had been adapted from the design of the Vengeance. Khan had seen no reason why people on board couldn't use the water supply for cleaning themselves, before the water was recycled. Only if they for some reason would lose water from the recycling system and would be unable to replace it, they would have to use the sonic showers. But if that ever became a reality, they would probably be facing more serious problems and be busy trying to survive and have no time to worry about showers.

 

Khan smiled as he took of his civilian clothes and dressed himself in the uniform. When he first had been forced on board the USS Enterprise, they had offered him a shower and the same sort of clothes, he was now wearing. Maybe they had thought that there had been hidden weapons in his own original clothes? Khan just wondered for a moment where those clothes were now. Recycled or hidden somewhere in a storage room? He had never asked about them.

 

He looked at himself in the mirror. Boots and charcoal-coloured snug fitting trousers. And the black under-shirt with the star fleet insignia. That symbol had meant abuse and fear so many years ago. Now it just meant, that he was a part of something bigger. Khan smiled and dragged the red uniform shirt over his head and looked down at the silver stripes on the sleeves. One thin and one thick, indicating that he was a 'lieutenant commander' and very soon there would be two thick stripes, when he became a commander again.

 

He placed his hand on the monitor, that connected him with the ship-computer, “Lieutenant Commander Khan Noonien Singh reporting for duty.”

 

A sentence a bit unnecessary as the ship computer of course had known he was on board, the moment he opened the door to his rooms. But this was 'protocol' and until now he wasn't really 'on duty'. Just on board.

 

And just like that Khan was now an official member of the officer-stab on USS Enterprise.

He attended the meeting a few hours later and was greeted by all his friends: Jim, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, and first and foremost McCoy, who rose and openly gave Khan a kiss.

 

They had been together in every sense of the word shortly after McCoy had spotted the sandstorm and they had survived in one of the shelters. After that they had returned to Khan's house and all the officers had arrived for the party. After they had left, McCoy had stayed and had confessed his feelings for Khan. He had expected to be rejected, but they had ended up in Khan's bed together. Khan had told that his sexuality wasn't directed towards a specific gender...and McCoy had confessed that he had been with a man in his younger days at the university, before he met his wife. He said that it was a story for another day and they had had amazing and very fulfilling sex.

 

Of course they had to separate as they were busy with a lot of errands before Enterprise would be ready to set off. But they had seen each other whenever possible and the location of their rooms on the officers' deck had been moved and now their rooms were very close to each other. And since they were both officers, albeit McCoy of a higher rank than Khan, their beds were big enough for two.

 

It was the plan to travel around in their own 'neighbourhood' within the borders of the Federation, more or less acting as a 'bus' as Jim would say with a frown, transporting passengers and goods from one system to another. But it was of course not the main goal. The main goal was to check if all the systems were working and if the improvements were working without any failures.

As Scotty said, “I might be a genius, but I can't repair everything and it will be damned difficult to find a repair-shop for Star-fleet ships out there!”

And while they were checking, they might just as well carry passengers and goods.

______________________

 

Khan had found it astonishingly easy to adjust to the new things: one...his short haircut again. Yes, it had been a sort of joke that Uhura was going to give him that haircut three months before the USS Enterprise would launch. But it had been fun and it had been OK. It was easier to have the shorter hair as well. Two...that he and McCoy actually had a relationship and three.... to be educated again. And Khan had taken the challenge and had finished his levels at an astonishing speed. He didn't have to make the Kobayashi-Maru-test again. He had done that already and had shown how it could be solved, using his skill-sets in so many areas: language, tactics, semantics and leadership, just to mention a few.

 

It had not been a joke giving him all three colours of shirts at the party on New Vulcan. Khan was not only assigned to one department, but to three. Others had been that before too and the Star Fleet Command had found that that would be the best way of using Khan's remarkable skill-sets to their full extend to have him in engineering, in science and on the bridge as well.

 

Scotty was happy to have Khan wearing the red shirt and to have him working on the improvements of the motors and especially the warp-core design. Those two motor-geniuses had a lot of animated and angry discussions and sometimes they would leave eachother almost fuming with anger towards the other. And wondering how the other one could be so stupidly blind, when they each knew, that they were totally right and the other one so totally wrong.

 

But their frustrations didn't last long and they compromised and together they managed to make impressive improvements, despite Scotty accusing Khan of being unnecessarily paranoid and Khan accusing Scotty of not being careful enough and that 'he ought to anticipate the worst and make the necessary precautions'.

 

Bones was happy to have Khan assigned to 'Science'. Despite Khan being born 300 years ago, his knowledge about genetics was amazing and very useful when the medical division was treating other races on board the ship as well.

 

And Khan had shown remarkable talents regarding steering a star ship and of course most of all regarding tactical decisions. They all hoped that the latter would not be necessary, but they were somehow still at war with the Klingon Empire, so who knew? And therefore Khan had been welcomed, when he was wearing the golden uniform on the bridge as well.

 

_________________________

And in all 3 departments Khan would soon be wearing the two stripes that showed he was a 'commander' again

 

If anyone would accuse him of having cheated, then McCoy could tell of nights of almost no sleep, but with a lot of reading and days of studying before Khan would be connected to the Star Fleet Academy on Earth and pass his exams with ‘flying colours’ and with the highest grades ever given.

 

Khan had been challenged....and his competitive mind would not let him rest, until he had at least fulfilled being a 'lieutenant commander' and after that a 'commander' again.

 

As Khan closed his computer after his last exam, McCoy entered the room with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He went over to the sitting man and gave him a kiss, “I suppose you would be so tired that the alcohol would have an effect on you....and afterwards I plan to seduce you and get you into bed...make sensual and slow sex to you for such a long time and when you finally is allowed to come, you would see stars and fireworks and finally be able to sleep!” had Bones said.

 

Khan rose and began to undress, with a smirk on his face, “I suppose it is doctor’s orders?”

 

McCoy smiled, “Exactly...and allow me!”. He had put down the glasses and the champagne on the table and began to undress Khan.

 

It always amazed McCoy, that they were about the same height, McCoy actually a bit taller. Khan’s presence was always so strong that he seemed to be so much taller. And he didn’t bulge with muscles. But McCoy knew that Khan could lift him up in the air with one arm, hell...even with just a finger, he supposed, but without clothes Khan looked, well not slender, but not at all like a body builder....more like an acrobat or a dancer....and his movements were always so controlled that McCoy always came to think of one of the big felines on Earth. Even more because of Khan’s deep voice and his tendency to almost purr, when they cuddled after having sex.

 

Khan was...a black leopard.....or a white tiger. ‘Black’ because his jet black hair....and McCoy was sort of sorry about the regulative, that didn’t allow human males to have long hair. Khan’s hair was like silk...soft and yet strong - and ‘white tiger’ because of the colour of his skin. Not that he always was porcelain-pale. And he could get a tan, but not much and his natural skin-tone was several shades lighter than both Leonard's and Jim's tone. Scotty came closest in skin-tone, but he was a ginger after all and Khan's hair was jet-black.

 

_____________________

 

Once, as McCoy had mentioned this, as they were lying in bed together, Khan had laughed and said, “Skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as black as ebony”....well you just described “Snow White” didn’t you?”

 

And McCoy had laughed back and said, “No....the queen didn’t mention the cock and the strength.....and I find both very arousing! And you are most certainly not a damsel in distress!”

 

And then Khan had turned serious and a bit sad and had said, “Well...I was...wasn’t I, Leonard? First nothing more than a slave back on Earth and then in the unmerciful hands of Section 31...and Marcus. Having no way to fight back...and then later. Just frozen as an icicle and again at the mercy of Section 31 once more. If it hadn’t been for you all - and you had no reason whatsoever to believe that I was no monster. You had only...at least in the beginning... the travesty of the Eugenic Wars and my actions to rely on. The truth was so cleverly concealed and I still wonder sometimes, why you believed my version - and then you all tried to save me. I can never reward Sarek, Spock and Spock Prime enough for being so persistent in their pursuing of the truth! And later the rest of you!”

 

Leonard had looked at Khan and then he tried to explain, “When the Vengeance had crashed.....and I had taken the blood from you....It still makes me feel rather guilty...”

 

Khan had looked at him, “Believe me...it was only a tiny violation of your Hippocratic Oath compared to what other doctors have done to me and mine!”

 

Leonard had explained further, “Yeah - and I was desperate.....and it might somehow have prevented Spock from killing you....that Uhura was beamed down...and actually begged him to avoid killing you. But I still feel guilty about it. And about the sedation, I used on you, not knowing about its terrible side effects. And my feeling of guilt is nothing compared to how Spock felt, when Scotty told him about the ruined protection suits.....and actually told him in plain words, with a lot of interesting very creative Scottish swearing included, that the major destructions on the USS Enterprise was not made by you, but by Marcus. Scotty showed us, on blue prints of our ship, the exact points where you had hit the ship: minimum damage to life-supporting areas and told us that you had tried to cripple the ship, but not destroy it and that you had nothing to do with the destroyed warp-core. Scotty even mentioned something about that you could have chosen to “eject the warp core”, before the Vengeance crashed.....but we didn’t pay attention then. You should have seen Spock’s face, when he realised ,what he had done. He turned green and asked permission to leave the conference room.”

 

McCoy had paused and then he had continued, “We later learned that he had contacted Spock Prime and Sarek and it was those three Vulcans, who began the investigation - and Spock Prime and Sarek continued that work, when Spock had to leave. As Jim woke up, he was worried about your fate too....and was relieved, when he heard that you were not killed, but just frozen again. He felt guilty too about having ‘stabbed you in the back’ when you actually had saved his life under that space-jump. Things had turned crazy after that...and you had killed Marcus and injured both Carol and him in the bridge of the Vengeance. But having time to think, as he recovered, he realised that you had just ‘kicked him around’ and not injured him severely...barely at all.”

 

Leonard had shaken his head and had continued, “And then we found the things from London.....the small cryo-tubes. Those for the children. That was the time where we decided to get the truth forward and see if we could free you. We, the officers of the USS Enterprise, we had to leave and we couldn’t openly reveal what we had found. At that time we were getting paranoid about Section 31 too and left it to Sarek and Spock Prime to carry on.”

 

He had turned towards Khan and had touched his face, “I’m sorry....I didn’t mean to stir up old and bad memories by my stupid remark...forgive me..”

 

Khan had kissed his hand and had looked him into his eyes, “How can I not forgive you? You have saved my life...you, Leonard, and the officers of the Enterprise and now I am working with you on the ship......not even in my wildest dreams have I dreamt of a fate like that!”

_____________________

 

Now as Leonard began to undress Khan...slowly removing his uniform trousers and the black under-shirt and finally the black under-pants, he felt a wave of arousal. So strong it almost made him shake. He leaned against Khan’s back and said in a low voice, “It is not fair!”

 

Khan turned against him and asked with a smirk, “What is not fair?”

 

“You....using your pheromones....as if I wasn’t horny enough already. This way it will be over before we even start!”

 

Khan turned around and pointed at Leonard’s crotch and said, “Horny?”

 

“I’m wearing a good damned old-fashioned cock-ring to prevent myself from jumping you! I respected that you wanted to read and study.....and I do not know, if you did it deliberately or not. But you oozed pheromones enough to make a church full of a bunch of 90 years old celibate monks horny!”

 

Khan frowned, “It is not something I can control and not something I deliberately can do. Not here – not now. I know, I told you about the other Universe – maybe a dream? I don't know. But this body? I can't do that on purpose.”

 

He undressed Leonard carefully but efficiently and they both sat down on the bed and Khan smirked and pointed at himself, “I could accuse you of the same thing. You make me horny too, you know. Maybe it is something I do, when I feel totally safe and secure?”

 

And they began to kiss and touch each other. And Leonard sighed as Khan knelt in front of him and eased Leonard's cock out of the ring and as his cock rapidly filled. Khan stayed kneeling and first he kissed the tip of Leonard's cock and stuck his tongue a bit inside the slit. Just gently and then he swallowed Leonard's cock in one long motion. Leonard closed his eyes and leaned back on the bed. Lifting his legs up to give Khan better access. Enjoying the sensations of Khan swallowing around his cock and adding just a hint of teeth and then moving up and down, bobbing his head and using his hands to fondle Leonard's bollocks and pressing a finger against the spot behind the bollocks, that would stimulate the prostate from the outside and using the other hand to circle Leonard's nipples in turn.

 

It didn't take long before Leonard sighed, “Khan!” and padded Khan's head to let him know that he was close......but this time Khan just continued and Leonard allowed himself to drown in the feeling of his rising orgasm. The tingling and the fire kept building and building, until finally the wave crashed and he came in thick spurts down Khan's throat. The orgasm made stronger because Khan's throat convulsed around the head of his cock.

 

And then it was Khan's turn to receive a blow-job. Leonard asked Khan to lie down on the bed and lift his hands over his head. Then Khan spread his legs and Leonard positioned himself between then and began to lick and suck. Swirling his tongue around the rim of Khan's cock-head and stimulating the frenulum....and that with an addition of teeth as well. Leonard knew that Khan loved that feeling. It didn't take long before Khan came in thick spurts in Leonard's mouth. There was no way that Leonard, how much he else wanted to be able to do that, was able to deep-throat Khan's cock. Leonard loved when Khan did that and would like to return the favour, but he couldn't. Kahn had assured him that he enjoyed the sucking and licking just as much...and especially if there was a hint of teeth as well.

 

 


	3. Memories and a puzzle

After that, they were lying in the bed. Leonard's head on Khan's chest and Leonard was slowly caressing Khan's nipples. Both of them a bit sleepy and coming down from the high of their orgasms.

 

Khan chuckled, “If you continue doing that, I might be ready for another round in a very short time!”

 

Leonard smirked, “Why do you think I am doing it? We never reached the 'slow and sensual' and I still plan to do that!”

 

Khan stretched out like a cat, “Well...what are you waiting for......doctor!”

 

The last world was almost purred in Khan's deep baritone, that always when directly to Leonard's cock.

 

________________________

After their second round, which lasted more than two hours, they were again lying in the bed. Now getting ready for some sleep and yet not quite ready for it.

 

Leonard was again resting against Khan's chest and had taken one of Khan's hands into his. Looking at it and studying it. Admiring how strong those long and delicate looking fingers could be. He knew that the bone-structure, the tendons and the muscle-tissue was more than 7 times as strong as the average human's. Three times as strong as a Vulcan.

 

He kissed each finger and then he looked at Khan, “Is is rather interesting, seen from a doctor's view and using a doctors knowledge about anatomy, that you can be so strong and still look so much like a Homo Sapiens..”

 

Khan frowned, “Well, thank you!”

 

Leonard smiled, “Don't misunderstand me. It just baffles me that your strength – just like that of a Vulcan – isn't that visible.”

 

He turned his head and looked Khan into his eyes and touched his face gently, “And I admire that you always can be so controlled. Even in the middle of having sex.”

 

He moved at bit and kissed Khan's chest and then his throat and finally his mouth and then he spoke again; “How can you maintain such a control – and yet enjoy sex?”

 

Khan frowned, but didn't answer directly. He asked instead, “Your wife – when you still loved each other – and you were having sex. Weren't you so much stronger than her? You must remember that you – even if you look like a Homo Sapiens...”

 

Right there Leonard gave Khan a slap on his chest....and Khan chuckled before he continued, “...you are stronger than the average human being, being with augmented genes as well. So – you were so much stronger than your wife and would that indicate that you didn't enjoy sex, even if you couldn't use all your strength?” And then Khan stopped talking and just looked at Leonard.

 

Leonard thought about Khan's word and then he nodded, “I see what you mean. Yes...I didn't use all my strength either. And the sex was good.....in the begining.”

 

Then he paused, “But thinking that I once loved that...that bitch. It makes me shudder!”

 

Khan kissed Leonard as he felt his distress, “Was she that bad?”

 

“Well. She wasn't a monster like Marcus. It is just......she showed me a glossy picture of herself. Not the real her. Not until we had married. And then, when I insisted on remaining as a doctor in our town, helping people in need, instead of becoming a highly paid specialist in one of the fine clinics in New York, all the glossy layers disappeared and she showed her disappointment in so many small mean ways. Nothing you could put a finger on really. Just an underlying tone....and when I tried to talk to her about it, she said I saw ghosts in broad daylight and she drew the victim-card and then it was my fault. I began to doubt my own senses”

 

"I think it is called “Gaslighting”..”, said Khan.

 

Leonard nodded again, “She was very good at it. And when I finally had enough and left, she had all the sympathy. Even from the lawyers and she got the house, most of our savings....and our daughter. When I told Jim that I had barely my bones in my body left, I was only exaggerating a bit. Then she found a new husband, a richer one...and I got some of our money back. Not that I need them now. You made me a very rich man, Khan.”

 

“No..I didn't. Your observational skills discovered that huge sandstorm, just in time to save almost everything. So your earned every credit, every single one of them. It would have taken years for us to have replanted the fields. And yes. We could have survived without those plants....this is not Tarsus and we were not isolated. But it nevertheless represented a huge value. So you have only yourself to thank...”

 

“Well. I happy that I can give my daughter a better start, with all those money. And myself a better leave when we are back on Earth the next month. You have thrown a few places that we all should visit together 'into the bowl' as well, haven't you?”

 

Khan nodded, “ A few places, yes. In India.”

 

Leonard, now rather sleepy, nodded and moved so he was lying comfortable against Khan's body, “It is going to be a world tour then. Former Russia, Japan – the country of Sulu's parents, Scotland in Europe, Iowa and Georgia in former United States, Kenya in the United States of Africa...and now India. A world tour!”

 

And like that Leonard fell asleep. Khan was still awake. He had something to think about. Something about Spock and Uhura. Why they had split. He had noticed how they had looked at each other when they thought that the other one wasn't watching. Nyota obviously still loving Spock and Spock's eyes filled with unspoken worry. What had gone wrong? And maybe something he had seen in Spock Prime's mind during their Mind-meld could be a part of the puzzle.

 


	4. Things from the past

If Khan and Leonard had thought that it would go unnoticed, that Khan had passed his last exam and now was a commander, even if Khan had protected the result with several passwords, they were mistaken.

 

Pavel Chekov's level of computer geniality was on level with Khan's (so much for 'I am better at...everything'), so it hadn't taken Pavel more than a few minutes to break Khan's 'security-wall'. Khan had expected it a bit, so he had written somewhere in that maze of passwords, in the Cyrillic alphabet, that he knew Pavel could read – and in Russian – “Please give me at least a few hours peace, before you tell the others. Don't tell them until tomorrow” - and Pavel had respected that. But had taken it quite literally. So – early in the morning – an hour and a half before Khan and Leonard had to begin their shift – a loud banging was heard at the door to Khan's quarters and Jim's voice was to be heard saying, “I do hope you are not in the middle of something, because we are coming in!” and then the door was opened. Jim's captain-code would overrule almost every other code on the ship, so the computer would of course give access.

 

And the bunch of people went in and began to arrange breakfast on the tables, and giving Khan and Leonard a tiny sliver of privacy by closing the doors to the bedroom.

So the two men stumbled out of the bed and into the shower – together – and emerged about 10 minutes later – fully dressed and freshly shaven – the latter only applying to Leonard- Khan couldn't grow a beard any-more. The a bit unwanted result of one of Marcus' doctor's experiments. Khan never understood why they had conducted that experiment, but maybe it had something to do with resources on spaceships at war? Khan didn't have any side-effects of the treatment, but humans, who had used the same crème, would develop a terrible rash. Marcus included. And the thought about that had comforted Khan a bit.

 

It was a very luxurious breakfast his friends had laid out on the tables and there were even baloons – “Balloons? Honestly?!”, had Leonard said with one eyebrow lifted, so he in that moment, with his hair darker from the shower, despite his more pink colour of his face, looked so much like Spock, that they had all laughed.

 

There were fresh fruit. “An experiment with storing fruits a different way”, had Sulu explained. And all sorts of delicious bread and jam and boiled eggs and scrambled eggs and sausages made with real meat. Fresh made tea and coffee and juice.....and at a point Khan was given 3 small gifts. It was new uniform-shirts. One in each colour and all 3 of them with the two broad stripes, showing that Khan was now commander.

 

After breakfast both Khan and Leonard had to hurry a bit to reach their workplace in time for their first shift. Khan was now appointed to 'Medicine' , because his extensive knowledge about genetics would be a great help in diagnosing diseases both in Earthlings (as Humans from planet Earth now were called), in Vulcans and in Vulcan hybrids.

 

Khan and Leonard were working together, mapping the genes of the two younger Vulcans on board. They were not regular crew members, but just as assigned scientists and they would leave the ship before its long 5-year postponed journey. But now they were not feeling well and had sought treatment at Med-bay.

 

Khan couldn't help asking how much Leonard knew about 'Pon Farr' – the Vulcan  -year mating cycle and the 'Plak Tow' the deadly 'Blood Fever' that could be the result if the 'Pon Farr' wasn't sated and how the destruction of the original planet 'Vulcan' had disturbed the 7 year cycle. Especially in the young Vulcans.

 

Leonard wanted to know why Khan asked and Khan told that he had noticed those two younger Vulcans on board the ship earlier. And that they had shown signs similar to those of other young Vulcans on New Vulcan.

 

Khan told how a group of young friends: All 'New-Vulcans' now, but two had originated from Earth, two from the original Vulcan and two were Augments, how they had been on a journey to set up more shelters in the desert. How they had got separated because the Augments left to search for more spaceships to use and therefore had left, just before the storm had shown itself on the radars, and the Vulcans had continued working on the shelter with the Earthlings. How those two young Vulcans, who had just entered adulthood, had begun to fight eachother and how the Earthlings not had been able to stop them or call for help, because of an upcoming sandstorm. How the two young Vulcans had reached the state of Plak Tow within hours. So much faster than ever heard of before. How they had both lost their assigned bond-mate since childhood by the destruction of the original Vulcan and how no one had expected that to have any significance, as they were so young. And how they, against all odds, had begun on a Pon Farr without having any bond-mates. And how they had moved on to the 'Plak Tow', that now threatened their lives at the worst possible time. Because they could either fight each other 'to death' - or mate, as in having sex with each other. And since they were two males, it would make it a bit difficult, as they were not homosexual, even if they could 'bond'. And how no one could leave that shelter and seek help, because of the now active storm. Not even get a message through.

 

Leonard told that he knew of suppressants, but he had heard about that they sometimes would prove themselves inefficient, but there were 3 methods to avoid the dangers of Plak Tow: intensive meditation, but it would have to be done before the signs of Plak Tow became visible. Second method was to fight. Normally it would have been for ones mate in ancient times....and it would have to be a serious fight. Almost until one of the involved was lying as dead.....and third method would be to actually engage in sex.

 

Khan nodded, “And that was what happened. Those two young Vulcans fought so violently that there was green blood everywhere. But even if it could have been enough that they fought that violently, it only postponed the Plak Tow and never ended it. During that fight the two missing members of the group managed to reach the shelter, as there was a brief pause in the storm – the 'Eye'. They immediately understood the implications and....”

 

Khan paused and looked at Bones, “You must understand that those 6 young men in that group were best friends. Came from the same village and had been through some shit together. They had even planned to find a place with other young New Vulcan residents and sort of form their own society with a mixture of ancient Vulcan culture, Asian culture from Earth and what ever my young Augments could remember from the few years of peace near Shimla in India. The bits and pieces from the culture there. Together they would attempt to make their own culture. Their own set of cultural habits and traditions.”

 

Khan paused again and then he continued, “At that point the four young men, Earthlings and Augments, had managed to get a few words through to elder people and had managed, despite the bad connection caused by the static electricity of the sand-storm, to understand that there would be a first-aid-book in their vehicle about Vulcan first-aid and for Earthlings as well. A book they had never opened until now. You can imagine their horror as they read and understood, that their raging and fighting two Vulcan friends only had a few hours life left, if the fighting couldn't end the Plak Tow. The two Augments made a decision. They undressed, found lubricant and prepared each other. Then they went into that room, to present themselves as....well pardon my language, Leonard,.....as 'fuck-toys'. The two young Vulcans were at that point so lost and gone, that I suppose any hole could have been used. As anticipated, they reacted, bonded with their two male friends and sort of attacked them and engaged in rather violent sex. Almost raped them. That continued for three hours before they were so sated, that they came to their senses.”

 

Khan paused again, “...They came to their senses so much that they now were trying to run out into the rest of the sandstorm to end their lives, because they had raped their friends. It took some time and quite a large amount of effort to make them understand, what had happened, and that the two young Augments would have done it again, instead of watching their best friends die...”

 

Bones looked at Khan. He was speechless for a few moments.....and then he asked, “Is that what our two young scientist are facing? To descent down into a more primitive version and then what? Fight? Fuck?”

 

Khan shook his head. During his explanations, he had continued working and pointed at a Petri dish containing a fluid, “No. This should activate some enzymes which could lessen the Pon Farr...or at least make the suppressants work better. But only if the Vulcan individual carries this specific gene-sequence. In other words: it will only affect those with unmixed heritage.”

 

He looked at Leonard, “It will not be able to help Spock.”

 

Leonard frowned, “But...but the suppressants work fine in Spock?”

 

Khan lifted an eyebrow, “Do they? His first real Pon Farr, after he finished puberty, must have been shortly after he came to the Star Fleet Academy. The first is mild and can easily be fulfilled and sated through meditation and medicine. The second should have happened around the time, where Vulcan was destroyed. Can you honestly tell me that Spock hasn't had outbursts of violent behaviour? Or suicidal tendencies?”

 

Leonard shook his head. He could remember several incidences, “You know just as I, that I can't do that. More so because you were the victim of one of his outbursts. He came so close to killing you...”

 

Khan nodded, “But only because I didn't want to live. I was believing that every single member of my people had died. And I was relatively easy to subdue. I had several serious injuries.....But wouldn't you say that Spock's behaviour was uncharacteristic cruel? He was making me believe that he had killed my crew. He risked that the Vengeance would fall from the sky, down to Earth like a stone, landing on unknowing humans after the proton bombs had exploded. Would it be normal for Spock to take such illogical risks or to be that cruel?”

 

Leonard could only shake his head, “Not when you put it like that. But Spock had had outbursts before..”

 

Khan frowned, “When?”

 

“In 2258. Spock was commander under Captain Pike. Jim was just an ensign, but everybody from the Academy, me included, had jump-promotions as we were the only space ship near Vulcan as Nero attacked Vulcan, after he had destroyed all the other space-ships. Not the whole fleet. Just Enterprise's sister-ships. All 7 of them and mostly crewed by Star Fleet ensigns, barely out of the Academy. The rest of the fleet was engaged other places within the Quadrant. Spock was promoted captain and Jim first commander, as Pike left the Enterprise on Nero's order. Jim and Sulu and some other guy, I can't even remember his name, tried to stop the drilling equipment, which was drilling a hole down to Vulcan's core. They managed but were nearly killed and only Chekov's talents got them beamed on-board in the nick of time, just before they were killed towards the rock hard surface of Vulcan. Pike was still held hostage by Nero and Spock insisted on joining the rest of the Star-fleet in order to defeat Nero. Jim insisted on them rescuing Pike and travel towards Earth to protect it. And Spock didn't want to listen. Nerve-pinched Jim and dropped him on Delta Vega in an escape-pod. We later learned that Jim hadn't been put down near the base, but more than 14 km away. Jim had been in mortal danger because of Spock's temper and only because the other version of Spock, Spock Prime, had happened to be near the place where Jim's pod had landed and by coincidence near the base crewed with Star-fleet personal, they both survived.”

 

Leonard paused and then he continued, “We all thought Spock had been compromised by the emotional pressure of seeing his mother getting killed and his planet destroyed. Are you now telling me that it was the beginning of a Pon Farr?”

 

Khan nodded, “The Pon Farr made matters worse. Even despite so much emotional turmoil, a Spock, unaffected by a Pon Farr, would never have acted that cruelly. But being under the influence of Pon Farr Spock didn't make sure that the escape pod would land safely close to the base. Hell....he could even just have ordered Jim beamed down inside the base. Spock was not rational. Not logical. He just wanted revenge and that only because Jim dared to contradict Spock.....”

 

Leonard looked in shock at Khan, “Are you telling me that Spock tried to kill Jim?! So unlike him!But...but why didn't we address that later? Accused him? Why did we just accept that?!”

 

Khan smiled a bit sad smile, “None of you accused Jim, when he did beat up a prisoner after said prisoner had surrendered? None of you questioned why it was a wise decision to use 72 proton torpedoes against one single man and that on a planet with people you had been – or still was – at war with. None of you questioned why Spock almost killed a man, who had just crashed with a space-ship, that was destroyed beyond flying, because same Spock had ignited 72 proton torpedoes on board that same space ship. Or why it was fair to put a man back into and old cryo-device without a fair trial and believe that it would not fail? To condemn his people to the same fate, without even having heard one single word of defence?”

 

Kahn looked at Leonard, “Both Earthlings and especially Vulcans claim that they are now ruled by logic and compassion. I can tell you that there is still some work to be done in that area.”

 

Leonard felt a wave of shame – and wondered if Khan hadn't forgiven them after all?

 

Khan looked at him and saw the expression on his face. So he rose and went to Leonard and reached out his hand and touched his cheek. And then Khan just said, “I was born on Earth, too, Leonard. I am an Earthling too. And I can't claim not to have deep emotions or that I have never reacted out of fear, hatred and anger....or cried...can I?”

 

Leonard shook his head, not being able to speak. He just hugged Khan tight and mumbled into the other man's shoulder, “I am still ashamed of what we did!”

 

Khan moved away enough to be able to see Leonard's face, “But you have done so much to redeem yourself. All of you. And I have truly forgiven you all. Never doubt that. We are not Gods......we make mistakes. All of us. Hell....we have just climbed down from the trees in the jungle. Have barely learned to stand on two legs. Compared to a lot of the other intelligent races in our Quadrant, we – and that include the Vulcans and Romulans and even the Klingons as well – we are still in the nursing room. Sitting in the playpen. There is still a lot of work to be done in the mental area. But we are getting better. Improving.”

 

They hugged again and then Khan wanted to know more about Spock's outbursts.

 

But first Leonard wondered why they hadn't thought about it. “Why did we just accept Spock's doings. Why didn't we question them until he nearly strangled Jim?”

 

“You had just lost 7 space-ships. Lost nearly all your friends from the Academy. You had all seen a planet get destroyed. Jim and Sulu had been within a hairs breadth from being crushed on a planet's surface. Jim had faced death on Delta Vega. You all were more or less in chock. That is the reason why you never thought of asking, of questioning other peoples decisions."

 

Then Khan frowned and asked, " - By the way. Delta Vega. That is where Scotty was – and Keenser? And what happened to Keenser? Did he die?”

 

“Scotty and Keenser were exiled on Delta Vega because of something with a dog and a beaming device – and Keenser wanted to go back to his own planet again. After...the Enterprise almost had the same fate as the Vengeance. He was very special and unique for his own kind: almost too talkative. Said more than two words. And he was extremely adventurous. He was the only one to ever leave their solar-system. But he wanted children and a wife so he left. According to Scotty he had just said, “Bye. Want a wife. Had enough. You were good friend.”...and then he left.”

 

Khan nodded, “Good – that he didn't die – I mean. You said 'strangled Jim'. What happened?”

 

“When Jim returned from Delta Vega – together with Scotty – they were escorted to the bridge and Jim kept on pushing Spock, until he snapped so badly that even we could see it. And Spock realised it too.....and Jim became 'acting Captain' in the absence of Captain Pike. Something Spock Prime had told him was essential. And Spock and Jim defeated Nero and saved Pike. Spock nearly got killed. It was now his turn to be beamed away in the nick of time. Thinking about it, I would say he was suicidal - again...”

 

“I see”, said Khan, “...'again'..?”

 

And Leonard told about Spock's suicidal tendencies on Nibiru as his cable, that connected him to the small shuttle, was destroyed by a blob of lava and left him in the volcano. And how he couldn't be saved unless the Enterprise would let itself be shown – which was strictly forbidden according to the 'Prime Directive' - and how he had just accepted death without fighting.

 

“Very uncharacteristic from Spock, who most of the time would fight just as vehemently as Jim and search for a way out – any way - and never give up.”, said Leonard.

 

Khan nodded, “You do understand now, don't you?”

 

Leonard nodded, “It is a bit weird. But yes....now I see it. So....how can we help him, if the suppressants are that ineffective?”...and then he stopped and was silent for a few seconds before he continued, “So...that is why he broke up with Nyota? He was afraid that he couldn't control himself and might hurt her?”

 

Khan smiled, “Yes....and in more than one way. And it has something to do with Spock Prime..”

 

 


	5. Secrets from the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spock Prime had secrets.....and they are of importance to people in this Universe too.
> 
> (I have borrowed a bit from 'Amok Time' from the original TV-series, but altered some of the plot. I have borrowed some of the characters as well)

“What do you mean?”, wanted Leonard to know.

 

Khan shrugged, “A mind-meld goes both ways. When Spock Prime mind-melded with me I saw something in his mind as well. I didn't address it then, but later I asked him about what I had seen and felt...and asked him if he would tell me about it, or tell me that it was none of my business. I told him why I needed that information. It was long after the trial...and as I had lived on New Vulcan for about half a year. And he decided, that he would tell me.”

 

Khan paused and then he looked at Leonard, “Spock and Captain Kirk from his version of the Universe, were not just bond-mates, T'hy'las, but they were mates in every meaning of the word..”

 

Leonard frowned, “They were...lovers?”

 

Khan nodded, “And not alone that. According to Vulcan law, they were in fact married. But it was not something they could tell...or show. In the Star-fleet, in their version of the Universe, same-sex relationships were not allowed. And that Jim outranked Spock could have been a problem too. If the 'beans would have been spilled' Jim would have lost his ship and they would both have been demoted and probably have been forced to stay on either Earth or Vulcan and never work on a star ship again.”

 

Leonard shook his head, “Same sex relationships 'not allowed'....how utterly stupid..”

 

He looked at Khan, “What did you see in Spock Primes mind, that made you ask?”

 

Khan smiled, knowing that this would surprise Leonard, “I saw and felt the ancient turmoil in Spock Prime's mind, as he had discovered, that he had killed Jim.”

 

“What?!”

 

Khan smiled, “Do we have time for this? It is quite a long story.”

 

“And Spock Prime just told you?”

 

Khan nodded, “He did. But first after I had told him...as I am going to tell you a bit later...why I needed that information. And he agreed with my deductions and said that there was a 98% chance that I was right. So...do we have time or ought we to work on this serum a bit longer?”

 

Leonard sighed, “We better finish this. The two young Vulcans will need it soon, if your calculations are right. You can tell me during lunch.”

 

____________________________

The two men had decided to eat in their rooms. No one would disturb them if they did that, instead of going to the canteen. They had gone to Leonard's room and he had already ordered lunch as Khan entered.

 

And during lunch Khan began to tell, “Spock Prime had been engaged to a young Vulcan girl since childhood. Her family had been a bit reluctant, because of his 'mixed heritage', but Spock being aristocrat did help...”

 

Leonard frowned, “Aristocrat?”

 

Khan smiled, “You didn't know? Spock's grandmother is T'Pau in this version of the Universe and in Spock Prime's version. She is the leader of Vulcan High Council, which in some cases can overrule the decisions of the High Command. She is like Earth's president or the Klingon Emperor. So – Spock being her grandson – makes him something like a...prince...I think.”

 

Leonard could only shakes his head, “Is that why he sometimes acts so....arrogant and distant?”

 

“No...that is just Spock being 'vulcanny'. It is just a façade, believe me. I have lived among Vulcans for more than a year and they are not snobs, not at all. They just try to follow 'Surak's teachings'. It was a way for them to avoid their strong feelings tearing their world apart. Believe me, they have come just as close as we did on Earth. Just in a different manner. And now they have to find a new way. Surak's way is too restrictive, too damaging as times are now.”

 

Khan stopped and ate a bit and then he continued, “Well. Back to Spock Prime and his betrothed T'Pring. Her family had almost nullified the engagement as Spock Prime decided to join the Star Fleet, but again, his high rank made them reconsider. T'Pring didn't want to marry Spock. She loved another, but her family would not cancel the engagement. And she felt, maybe rightfully, that Spock had his heart somewhere else. And then she made that plan, well knowing that Spock Prime was close to his Pon Farr and would have to return to Vulcan. She manipulated the now rather compromised and not very clear-thinking Spock into the  _kal-if-fee,_ the 'mating-fight', and had chosen and manipulated Captain Kirk to be his opponent. Captain Kirk had agreed to be that, as he thought and had been told, by her, that this 'fight' would just be a fictitious one and one that would help Spock. Spock was close to 'blood fever' and was raging and totally out of his mind, and Kirk was deeply worried and prepared to do quite a lot to help him. At that point they had not engaged in a closer relationship....bodily. Spock had lost his mind even more, because T'Pring had made sure that he had no means to control his mind: she prevented meditation with scents in his rooms and with a lot of 'innocent' disturbances and by drugging his food with substances, that should enhance his Pon Farr. So Kirk and Spock ended up in the formal Arena.....it would be a bit like dating in the oval room in the White House in the former United States.....and Kirk and Spock fought. T'Pring had hoped that Kirk, being only a human and thus weaker than Spock, would get killed and then Spock would maybe kill himself or at least go through a  _Ko-li-nahr-ritual_ , to be able to live with his doings and thus not be able to marry, but both their McCoy and Kirk had 'smelled something rotten' and had made precautions. Spock did hit Kirk and wounded him, but not seriously. Kirk acted more injured than he was, McCoy attended to him....and sedated him at the same time. Kirk got up on his legs and was hit one more time by Spock and fell, face first, into the sand and lay motionless in the sand, as if he was dead. That was the moment I saw and felt in Spock Prime's mind.”

 

Leonard could only shake his head, “Jeeves!”

 

Khan continued, “That shock ended Spock's 'blood fever' and he came to his senses immediately. Only to turn his weapon against himself in order to commit suicide. He was stopped and was told that Kirk was indeed alive, just sedated. And since they had fought 'almost to death' but not over a female but over eachother, they were by Vulcan law now married, if they wanted to be. T'Pring was not accused. Spock didn't want that. He could understand her feelings and just told her later, under private circumstances, that she could just have asked him to nullify their engagement. He warned her, though, that she had to watch her steps carefully in the future, because he had put a message, describing her evil plans, in the archives of the High Council, to be opened if T'Pring ever would threaten him or his again.”

 

“Wow....but...our Spock. Was he engaged too? And is T'Pring alive here...now?”

 

“he was and she is, but she is happily married and living on New Vulcan. Spock's and her engagement ended, like a lot of others, the day Vulcan was destroyed. The survival of the Vulcan species became so much more important than old agreements.”

 

“And Spock, even if he is T'hy'la with our Jim. He doesn't have feelings for Jim like that? Sexual feelings?”, wanted Leonard to know.

 

Khan shook his head, “No...and yes. Spock is afraid that he would be less capable of controlling himself than Spock Primes was..”

 

“Because the destruction of Vulcan would have disturbed his biology too, even if he is not a teenager?”

 

Khan nodded, “That is why our Spock broke up with Nyota. Two reasons: he is now aware that the medication, which should either totally suppress his Pon Farr or at least diminish it significantly, doesn't work and that Spock Prime went amok a few times too. He knows that Spock Prime and him are not totally alike – not genetically 'twins', but very similar. Just like you and Jim and Scotty and everybody here are not totally alike with those from Spock Prime's universe. But very close. Like apparently in every parallel Universe close to eachother. So close that I could see Admiral Marcus in that Marcus from my 'dream-universe'. That the Spock there...and that other Jim...looked very much like the versions here. Subtle differences, but they were there. Even you did resemble the 'Bones' there – so much that you could have been brothers. So....Spock was afraid that he would react just like Spock Prime had done in his youth. That he would not be able to control himself during a Pon Farr, so he broke up with Nyota for two reasons: he was afraid that his sexual urges would be too much for her and that he might damage her and secondly...”

 

Leonard interrupted Khan, “Are you telling me that he is such an idiot that he doesn't know that there are...means....to help with that specific matter. Jeeves....as he would be the first male ever, whose sexual urges can't be fulfilled with his wife? Or the other way around? It not uncommon amongst humans as well...and there are methods – toys – and even that weird and a bit creepy holo-suit with...ahem...devices to be put on various body-parts – or 'in' - to make the illusion complete. I doubt that the computer could be worn out by Spock's sexual urges......even under a Pon Farr. How many times a day are we talking about?”

 

“If it is not a full blown 'Blood Fever' it could be up to 10 times a day. More if it has to end a 'Blood Fever'.....and there is a problem with the holo-suit and Vulcan minds. The physiology might work, but the mind part wouldn't.”

 

Leonard frowned, “Oh...I see. Well, then there are toys and other ways. So that problem could be solved. And you mentioned a second reason?”

 

Khan nodded, “Spock is afraid that his sexual urges during a Pon Farr would be directed in another direction than towards Nyota..”

 

Leonard frowned and then he understood, “...towards his T'hy'la? Towards Jim? And that would hurt Nyota's feelings. I see.”

 

“Or another Human male. There was an attraction between Spock Prime and McCoy at a point,as Spock Prime confessed too, as we talked.”

 

“Oh...I see. And Spock would rather hurt her now than – potentially - hurt her later. If his urges would be too much and if he is attracted to men during a Pon Farr. Logically he is right and otherwise so wrong. He is sometimes such an idiot!”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Leonard sat in silence and then he said, “I think Spock underestimates Nyota's feelings for him. If he might risk a 'Blood Fever' with its potential deadly outcome, I am sure she would prefer Spock engaging in sex with another, than seeing him die. Even if she, with an old expression from Earth, 'would have to swallow a few camels'...”

 

Khan nodded, “That is my thoughts too. And there would be a solution to that too. It's just.......You would have to swallow a few camels too, Leonard.”

 

Leonard squinted his eyes as he understood, “You would take Jim's place...And let Spock have his will with you....”

 

Khan nodded, “If there would be a fight, I would not be damaged. Not more than I would be able to heal fast....”

 

Leonard shook his head, “Spock is strong. He almost killed you on that garbage-carrier....”

 

“May I remind you that I had just crashed with a star ship, had internal injuries and a cracked skull? That I had seen my people die and had no wish to live? Leonard...Spock will not be able to kill me. But he might be able to....to put it blunt....'to fuck me through the mattress'...”

 

And Khan rose and continued as he saw the expression on Leonard's face, “You are an idiot too, Leonard, if you think that I fancy him more than you. You can take that green-eyed jealousy-monster and throw him out through the airlock.”

 

He bent down and whispered in Leonard's ear, in that deep rumbling baritone, that always went directly to Leonard's crotch, “Spock is handsome, but nothing compared to you. He is my friend and colleague.....but he doesn't make my knees weak, as you do, when I see you walk down the corridor towards me. I have to control myself not sliding down on my knees and take your gorgeous cock deep down my throat and.....”

 

Leonard gripped for Khan's hand and looked up, “You are just saying this to persuade me......all right. Let's hope it will not be necessary for me to share my biggest treasure with Spock. I'll hate to share you, but will accept it if it might save that hobgoblins life.”

 

Khan smiled, “We still have half an hour left of our lunch-break.”

 

He rose and stretched his hand out towards Leonard, “Come....I have some kneeling to do!”

 


	6. The origin of species

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No sex - yet. Just Khan worrying a bit about the offer he has made in order to save Spock from a potential blood fever. And something about a surprise for Leonard.

After lunch break both Khan and Leonard were busy finishing the serum for the young Vulcans. They would need it as fast as it could be made and both Leonard and Khan worked hard against unforeseen complications, before they finally, many hours after their shift had ended, could administer the serum and end the Pon Farr in those young people. Or at least postpone it until they were back on New Vulcan again. And then, finally, they could go to their rooms, grab a bite to eat and settle in for the night. Much too late, but with a promise that their shifts later that day would be made by some others, so they could get their rest. Nothing was urgent any more and med-bay could do without them, at least the next day, so they could have some much needed rest.

 

Leonard and Khan were now lying in Leonard's bed and did try to get some sleep, but they needed to 'unwind' mentally a bit before they could be able to do so. Well, at least Leonard needed that, Khan not so much. So they talked.

 

About how strange it was that humans, or rather 'Tellurians' as the term for Homo Sapiens Sapiens would be, could mate with Vulcans. 'Earthlings' would be the term for someone coming from Earth no matter how much of a Human-Vulcan hybrid they were, or even if they were of another species all together. After all, Earth was a part of the Federation and at least several thousands individuals from other planets were now living permanently on Earth, some of them were even born there. The term 'Tellurians' were saved for those, who most of all were Homo Sapiens Sapiens.

 

And now Khan and Leonard talked about how strange it was that humans had been able to mate with an Alien race those 100.000 of years ago.

 

“They must really have been 'aliens' compared to the hominids then”, had Khan said and had continued, “Vulcans are surprisingly close to 'us'....Homo Sapiens in all those variations: Neanderthal, Denisovian, Heidelbergensis. They are even closer than our nearest cousins, the Chimpanzees.”

 

Then he turned and looked at Leonard, “It turns out that you Homo Sapiens Sapiens are just as much a patchwork quilt as we, Homo Sapiens Augmenti, are....and it is even weirder to think about how close we all are to the other hominids here in our quadrant. Have you never thought about that?”

 

Leonard was rather sleepy now, but still answered, “Can't say I have. Just accepted them, I think...”

 

“Should I stop talking? You seem to be sleepy now.”, asked Khan.

 

“No...it is all right.”, answered Leonard, “I am not that sleepy yet. And you are right. It is a bit strange. Please continue.”

 

“Well, I didn't know about other races, not until I woke up in this century. But I noticed how alike we all are, despite differences. I know the Gorns and the Cardassians are more reptile-like, but all the other: the Klingons, Vulcans. Romulans, Bajorans, Ferengi, Betazoids.....and I could go on. We look a lot like each other. Same template: a head on the top, a torso and 4 limbs. Even Keenser, a Roylan, was made after the same template. I can only recall the Bandersnatchers, and the 'Pierson's Puppeteers' and the whale-like Huffalumps and of course the thinking and sentient rocks being a lot different and without DNA resembling ours. All the rest of the lifeforms I have seen.....Hell, Leonard, they look more like us than animals from Earth do. So weird!”

 

Leonard frowned, “And do you have an answer to that?”

 

Khan smiled and said, “I do...and please don't laugh at me....” and he continued as Leonard just nodded.

 

Well.....,”, said Khan, “I think there can only be one explanation.....and that is that we were planned...”

 

“Intelligent design?!”

 

“No...not like that. I just think there were...travellers.....maybe even before our solar-system began. Travellers almost as old as the universe. Aiming for....life...intelligent life....to emerge. And I think they altered the lifeforms on the planets, where they found life. They took what they could find. So...on Earth it must have been after the Dinosaurs got that meteorite in their head 65 millions of years ago. And they could just as well have used the birds. Corvids and parrots are rather intelligent.”

 

Leonard smiled and lifted his hand and wriggled his fingers, “But they needed a creature with dexterous limbs – hand and fingers – and a brain. I know parrots can use their feet with surprisingly agility, but never two at the same time. Even if they use their beaks. So the early hominids must have been a better solution..”

 

“In that case they must have interfered multiple times in order to make symmetric animals, with digestive systems going from a mouth in one end to an anus in the other end and then vertebrates and then wait until a suitable candidate emerged.” Khan said and then he continued with a smile, “I am glad they didn't use those multi-celled lifeforms on Earth, where the anus is beside the mouth, like in mussels!”

 

Leonard smiled too, and then he frowned, “What on earth make you think about that?....”

 

Then he paused and said, “Oh...I think I know..”

 

“Enlighten me, ' _Sherlock Holmes_ '”, said Khan.

 

Leonard reached out to touch Khan's face and caressed his cheek. Then he kissed him and moved away again and said, “You thought about those young Vulcans and the serum. Then you thought about if that serum could help Spock after all. Even if you haven't told Spock about your offer to help him yet, you were still a bit worried. About...hm...the 'mechanics' of the genitals from two different species. Then you realised that it couldn't be that different from our genitals, since Spock's father and mother had managed, and Spock and Nyota...”

 

Khan laughed and interrupted, “And Spock Prime and his Kirk. Well, I couldn't just yank the trousers and pants off Spock to look, could I? And there were not exactly pictures in detail in the medical journals...no pictures of erect versions, so yes. I had given it a thought..”

 

He continued, “I think we had something similar back on Earth. Not the dog and wolf. They were still the same species, but the tiger and the lion. From two different continents, and they had been separated for hundreds of thousands of years...and yet. They could bread and have fertile offspring: the 'liger' and the 'tigon'. I know it is not in planet-scale, just continents, but never the less.”

 

Leonard nodded, “The Vulcans and the Romulans can have children together too. Species relatively close to eachother – just measured in a few light-years distance can interbreed – mostly. So maybe your idea about 'someone' planning it out isn't that crazy after all. There have been ideas about that 'floating' around inside the Federation, but until now no one has found any proof...yet.”

 

Then Leonard paused and looked at Khan before he continued, “You don't have to worry about the biology. An erect Vulcan penis is very similar to a human version. They are mammals after all and we share a lot of similarities. The penis is of a greenish colour, and has a double ridge...a bit looking as if it had a double head, but that is the only differences...oh - apart from the small appendixes at the root of the penis. They will only emerge under sexual arousal and....4 erection chambers instead of 3.”

 

Leonard paused and looked earnestly at Khan, “And Khan...I am accepting it – your offer to Spock – if it was the other way round and I could be of any use to save Spock, you would accept it too, wouldn't you?”

 

Khan smiled, “I think you are the better person of us, since you can accept it. Yes...I would accept it...I hope. But I am glad that I don't have to share you with anyone.”

 

And then he kissed Leonard deeply, but stopped and looked at him, “I know you are too tired to anything, but damn it...I love you so much!”

 

Leonard smiled back, now a bit sleepy, “Then marry me!”

 

Khan smiled back and didn't say either 'yes' or 'no'...just asked, “When you do retire, when – if- we live long enough to do that, where would you like to live?”

 

Leonard frowned, “Somewhere on Earth I suppose. Near my daughter, so I would be able to see my grandchildren...”

 

Khan smiled back, “And where do you suppose that – well not **my** grandchildren, but the children of my people, would grow up and I'll be able to see them grow and prosper and would wish to do so?”

 

Leonard laid down on the pillow again and nodded and touched Khan's face before he closed his eyes, “Yeah....I know. New Vulcan....but it doesn't mean that we can't marry now...”

 

“I don't need to be married to remain faithful to you – well except that I will be sort of unfaithful if it is needed to save Spock – I love you, Leonard and I don't need a ceremony to prove that.”

 

“Hmm...I know..”, was the very sleepy answer from Leonard.

 

Khan smiled and laid back and whispered, “But if it is so important to you, than I might have to arrange something when we return to Earth later this month...”

 


	7. Visiting Earth - Africa and Russia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have made Chekov's home town 'Tjekhov' much smaller, than the real Tjekhov is. And invented a lot about Chekov's childhood. Just like I have invented a lot about the other officer's places on Earth as well. And it is going to be a long chapter.
> 
>  
> 
> (And no - I haven't abandoned my story. I'm just busy in my life right now. As in 'very busy'. Exams and a lot of work to do.)

It took more than a month to return to Earth. And Khan had barely time to plan anything, nor finding time at all to have a quiet conversation with Spock. Spock had been given the serum as well, but had been warned that it might not have so much of an effect on him.

 

The two young Vulcan scientists returned to New Vulcan and after that Khan wasn't so much needed in 'Medicine' any-more and he had begun to work together with Scotty again. They were all - all the engineers and all the technicians – so very busy meretriciously writing messages down about every little alternation, improvement and enhancement in the motors and the warp-core and in the whole machinery. Writing everything down in every excruciating detail, so the engineers back on Earth would know exactly what to do and maybe most important: what not to do, when they were making the last improvements before the ship would embark on its 5 years journey - again. Scotty and Khan would not be allowed to stay on board the ship, but had been ordered on leave. Ordered in very firm words and they had both a bit reluctantly decided to obey that order.

 

All the officers had had a meeting and had discussed and planned what to visit on Earth on their leave. And in which order. Nobody mentioned it, but all of them knew that it could be the last time they ever saw Earth again - and saw friends and relatives. It was not exactly totally safe to leave their own quadrant in the Galaxy, not to mention all the other dangers they could encounter out there in space.

 

On the other hand: Earth wasn't totally safe either. The tension between the Klingon Empire and the Federation was palpable....and there were still 'encounters', which was the nice and diplomatic words for groups of Klingons and members of the Federation engaging in fights on remote asteroids or moons or not inhabited planets. Not enough to be called a war, but not exactly 'peace' either.

 

Hikaru's husband and daughter would join the group, when they would reach the former United States. Leonard's daughter, Joanna, who had visited friends, she had gained on the Star fleet Academy, would join them too and so would Carol Marcus – or rather 'Carol Wallace' as her name was now. She didn't want to carry her father's name any-more, especially not after she learned what her father had done to Khan and his fellow augments and their children. She had been on board the USS Enterprise as it had embarked on the aborted 5-years mission, but had not been on New Vulcan together with the other officers. Not that Khan had not invited her, but she had been busy on Earth, taking care of her very ill aunt. The aunt had died and Carol had planned on being a part of the team on board the USS Enterprise again.

 

The rest of the group of officers had a suspicion about Jim and her being in a relationship, but no one wanted to ask about it openly.

 

So – back on Earth and on their 2 months leave, all the officers were now ready to travel around the world and visit places, that were important to each individual.

 

They began in the United States of Africa. In the state 'Kenya' where they all visited Nyota Uhura's family.

 

And they were all warmly welcomed and Nyota's family had enough decency and politeness and good upbringing not to mention or even show in any way, that they knew that she and Spock were no longer in a relationship. Not that they pretended that Nyota and Spock were still seeing each other. It was just not mentioned in any way and they treated Spock as if he was just another of Nyota's colleagues.

 

Just – Nyota's mother did have a chance to talk with her daughter after the dinner, that had shown a lot of local African very delicate dishes.

 

“I know it is not my business, Nyota, but I can see how he looks at you, when he thinks you can't see him. So....what happened? Because I can see how you look at him too..”

 

Nyota smiled a bit, “I still love him, mother. I have tried to imagine to be with another....but no one can be compared. There is no one like him. He might seem cold and distant, but he is quite the opposite. He is just brought up not to show his feelings in public. When the door is closed...it is so different. And it took me so long to understand...”

 

She sighed and looked in Spock's direction, “Yes, mother, I still love him. And I will wait for him. He has something, he has to sort out. Some troublesome matters and they have something to do with Vulcan and New Vulcan. Spock Prime told me a bit about it and asked me to be patient. So I am going to be...patient.”

 

She turned towards her mother again, “Spock Prime even told me that Spock had been engaged to a Vulcan girl since childhood...”

 

“What?”, said her mother.

 

“No...not like that.”, hurried Nyota to explain, “It was very common and only if they agreed as adults, the bond would be reinforced. But a lot of those 'engagements' were destroyed as Vulcan was eliminated and T'Ping is happily married and lives on New Vulcan and has no intention of getting married to Spock. More so because he decided to join the Star-fleet. Even if he was aristocracy, her family found it difficult to accept that he was so...unorthodox.”

 

She smiled and touched her mother's arm, “Spock had told me about her, even before Spock Prime mentioned her, and how that engagement had almost ended, even before Vulcan was destroyed. No....that is not what is bothering him. It is something else. And I will wait.”

 

Her mother hugged her, “I am going to miss you. But I have my other children near by and I know that you are just as crazy as the rest of you officers. You would hate to stay on Earth and be limited to one planet. We – as species – do need the adventurous specimens. Those who can find knew places and new friends. But please - try to be careful.”

 

Nyota smiled, “I can promise you that. To be careful. I love you Mum and I'll do my best to return. Hopefully with Spock as my beloved again.”

 

Her mother shook her head, “He is your 'beloved'....no matter if you get into a relationship again. You told me that yourself. And he is a remarkable young man and we would be honoured to welcome him in our family. You must know that. Give him time, as Spock Prime said. Give him time.”

 

Khan had heard the conversation. Sometimes people around him did forget that his ability to hear was even better than that of a Vulcan. Spock had heard it too. Khan was sure of that.....if he could read Spock's expression right. But now was not the time for a quiet conversation. Too many people around. He would have to find a better opportunity. Hopefully on this trip.

 

____________________________

 

The next stop was Pavel Chekov's home-town 'Tjekhov' and the orphanage, where he had lived as a child. Even if the city hadn't been that far away from Moscow, it had been far enough to make a lot of the money intended for the orphanage disappear on their way from Moscow to Tjekhov. Civil servant after civil servant had taken their 'fair' share and when the government in Moscow thought there was enough money for education and food and heating and clothes and shoes, the petty truth was that there was never enough money for all that.

 

Pavel had told about how the elder children had worked in the fields to earn money so they could get enough food. How the people in Tjekhov had donated clothing for them and how they had educated each other so they wouldn't have to go to school, because there was never enough money for school-uniforms or books for all of them.

 

Chekov's mathematical geniality had been discovered during a competition amongst the schools in the area, as he was 14 years old and he had won every competition. He had been brought to Moscow in the finale. And as he innocently told the journalists about his orphanage and how life was there, it had been discovered how little money that had actually reached the orphanage and it was rapidly changed. Pavel Chekov had been given a stipendiary at the Star Fleet Academy in the former US and had lied himself older than his 14 years, pretending to be 16. That was the reason why he had actually only been 17 years old as the incident with Nero happened. At that point he had admitted that he had cheated and his correct age had been registered in the computers.

 

Pavel now wanted to visit the orphanage and bring some gifts...and to show his friends from back then in his childhood, that dreams might come true. The orphanage was rich now, compared to before, but it was still difficult for children in such a small town to believe that there could be a future for them out between the stars, even if they studied hard enough.

 

Of course they were all greeted with great hospitality. And with local dishes and songs and dance and Pavel was celebrated as a King. The other officers took a step backwards and did let Pavel have most of the fun.

 

And the people in the orphanage couldn't have been prouder even if the president of the Federation had visited them.

 

The hotels in the little town had been falling over themselves to offer rooms to the officers from the Star Fleet. It had been a hard job to choose between all those nice offers, but finally they had decided on one of the smaller hotels. One of those who had tried to help the orphanage back then. And that hotel had been chosen to be the host of their farewell-dinner too. A dinner for the staff at the orphanage and for the children – and for the people who had helped back then.

 

At the farewell-dinner Pavel had risen to make a speech:

“I am so proud of my childhood home. We didn't have much to eat or to wear – but there was always one important thing, that we had plenty of. And that was love. We might have been hungry, sometimes, and cold. But we never lacked love. And we supported one another. That is why I am so proud that I can give you a little of that back.”

 

He pointed at the gifts, he had brought for the children: posters, replica of Star Fleet uniforms, books and Padds.

 

“This can never fully return what you – the grown-ups – have done for us all. So...let it just be a symbolic gift to the foster-home, that gave me a real home, when my father wasn't able to do so...”

 

The officers of Enterprise had just recently learned about Chekov's father, who had had to give his little son away, as his wife died. Pavel had only been 1 year old and it had taken him some time to realise that the man, who sometimes came to visit, was his real father. Andrei Chekov had died when Pavel had been 10 years old and had never got to know about Pavel's level of genius.

 

Pavel had continued, “I am here to show you children, that your dreams might come true. Not that you might be as crazy as me...and like the other officers of the Enterprise. Because would a sane person trade the security of Earth with the uncertainty of Space? But other dreams might come true. Even if you are from a small village.”

 

And then he pointed at his fellow officers around the table, “I left my friends here in Tjekhov and went to the Star Fleet Academy. And gained new friends. We have been through some crazy stuff together – and they have saved my life so many times.”

 

Jim interrupted, “It is the other way round. You have saved lives. If it hadn't been for you, Pavel, Hikaru and I would have been dead...”

 

Even Spock interrupted, “And if it hadn't been for you, my father and a lot of the other 'Eldest', and I, would have been dead too. Don't diminish your own doings, Pavel. You saved lives too.”

 

Pavel did blush a bit and then he continued, with a nod to Khan....and he had asked beforehand if what he was going to say would be all right, “Some of us were enemies, before we became friends. We, humans...and Vulcans, were so blinded by our own fears and lack of knowledge and prejudice, that we didn't recognize the real enemy. We looked at that man, a remnant from a long time passed and thought him to be the enemy, instead of reading the signs and warnings that could have made us see the real enemy within our own ranks. Our own former leader, who was blinded by ambition and extreme lust for power. A man, who disregarded any decency and used a Ceti Eel. Admiral Marcus.”

 

People around the table nodded. They had of course heard about Khan's trial on New Vulcan and how he was freed of any accusation, because he had been infected with a Ceti Eel.

 

Pavel continued, “ And despite that....despite all our wrongdoings....the most amazing part of that is that commander Khan has forgiven us all and is now a very treasured friend and colleague. A man I can only admire and whom I someday hopefully can prove, how proud I am to call him my friend and colleague.”

 

Pavel looked around again, “A toast for my childhood-home and a toast for fulfilling of dreams. And a toast for my fine friends and colleagues!”

 


	8. Visiting Earth - London and Scotland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now, this chapter begins to tie back to my Sherlock Holmes story, as mentioned in the beginning of this story. But not all secrets are told yet.  
> It turns out that Spock is a descendant of Sherlock Holmes - and to Scotty's horror, a distant relative of Scotty too.

Next stop was London. Spock had surprised them a lot at their meeting, as he had explained why he wanted to visit London and some other places in former Great Britain.

 

“My mother left me a book. And I never showed her how much I appreciated that book. As a child I thought that the highest achievement I could ever perform, was to be as much a Vulcan as my peers. I know understand that it wasn't necessary. At least not in the safety of our own house. And I did hurt her by not acknowledging my Human heritage. I do regret that now, even if it is illogical, since I cannot tell her any-more. I have lost the book...it was lost together with Vulcan, but I read it so many times, that I can recall it by heart.

My mother had written about her life on Earth. And before that her mother had written in that book too. And her mother. And her mother. It spans over almost 100 years and goes back to the year 2160. There are stories about her legacy – her family – and even if it leads back to famous people, there would be no logical explanation to why they would have lied about that. Claiming to be the offspring of famous people instead of just – 'normal' people.”

 

Spock paused, “It turns out that my mother was a descendant of the famous detective from the 20th and 21st century, Sherlock Holmes, and thereby to his brother Mycroft Holmes, too. The unofficial leader of Great Britain in the years before the First Eugenic War.”

 

He looked at Khan, who just nodded back.

 

Spock continued, “Sherlock Holmes had a son and married John Watson, who had a daughter and those two children married and became my ancestors on my mother side. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson died in Sussex in 2068, but the younger part of the family had moved to Scotland a few years before and were relatively safe as the Augments overtook the world. Even more so because they did disappear out into the moors..”

 

Khan remarked, “I suppose John Ericsson, who was the one to rule Europe back then, never anticipated anything valuable in the Northern part of the British Isles and disappearing out into the vast nature, was the wisest thing to do, I suppose.”

 

Scotty nodded, “It was a very well-proven and efficient way to avoid Englishmen and foreign soldiers. Has been used for centuries...And them being 'Watsons' and wait.....Oh, aye, of course. They must have been of the clan 'Home' as well. Well-known names in Scotland. Must have left towards the South at a point and altered their name to 'Holmes'. Still clan-people, though.”

 

Khan interrupted with a smile, “And Hadrian's Wall and Antonine's wall didn't protect the 'English' from the wild Picts. It was the other way round, wasn't it? It protected Scotland from the 'wild and mad Englishmen'...”

 

Scotty nodded, “That was the way it was...and it worked.”

 

Then he looked at Spock with a look of feigned horror on his face, “Please tell me, lad, that the village your mother's ancestors fled to was not Pitlochry!?”

 

The left side of Spock's mouth did move a fraction and his eyebrows were lifted, “Why would that be so bad?”

 

Scotty did hide his face in his hands, “That is my village. Ai, buggery buck. We are cousins!”

 

And all the officers laughed as Spock remarked dryly, “Going back long enough I think that Science has proved that all Humans are descendants from a group of people consisting of about 8000 individuals. We are all relatives!”

 

Scotty just shook his head and they began to plan what to see in London and now Scotland.

 

Pitlochry still existed and Scotty wanted to visit relatives there as well.

 

________________________

 

Visiting London was quite an experience. After the Eugenic wars and after the political and economical collapse leading up the the wars, where all big cities had almost been abandoned, London was again a thriving Mega-city. This time without most of the flaws and failures of its past. Agriculture was now a part of London and green plants were to be seen everywhere. Both on top of houses and as a part of buildings containing vertical agriculture. Recycling was easy now, as almost everything could end up in the tanks with the material for the replicators, which could make almost everything from trash. Only a few things had to be dealt with with more care. Mostly if the items had been made many years ago and held materials, that were difficult to dis-assemble.

 

And the traffic, that already in the 18th century had made people say that London couldn't grow any bigger because of the amount of horse-droppings, worked as effortless as no one facing the traffic-problems from the 20th and 21st, could have ever imagined. The sky was clear and the infamous 'smog' that was a phenomenon in the 21st century as well, was now just history.

 

As the group of officers either walked around in central London or was transported in pollution-free vehicles, they couldn't help notice that a lot of things had changed, even since Spock's mother, Amanda, had lived there as a small child. Even more houses had been either removed or altered in order to make the city more green and self sustainable.

 

Spock had of course used the ship-computer beforehand and had found buildings and sights all the way back to his great-great-grandmother and would like to see if some of it still existed. And Khan could remember things he had heard about, before he had to flee in 'Botany Bay'. People had come to his Empire all the way from Europe as well and had brought pictures and memories.

 

Spock was standing near the Tower of London and was looking at Khan and Scotty and Leonard standing near by, as he said, “It is somehow remarkable that very ancient buildings like The Tower of London and Tower Bridge still exist, whereas buildings mentioned to be 200 or 300, yes even less than 100 years old, have totally disappeared.”

 

Khan smiled, “Better building methods? More stable materials: stone instead of concrete? There is still something left of the Pyramids, The Chinese Wall...Scotty's Hadrian's and and Antonius' Walls, and remnants of the walls the Inka's did build. Or it is just coincidence? I know my former Palace in India wasn't totally destroyed and still exists, but I know about villages, which have totally disappeared and buildings in India that have been destroyed as well. I suppose it is the way things develop. If not, we would still try to go out in space in an old wooden frigate. We are not doing that, even if we still call it a ship!”

 

And Scotty and Leonard laughed.

________________________

 

They were all welcomed in Pitlochry. It wasn't a small village any-more, but a town, and there were guides, who would show tourists around in the vast Cairngorms National Park, where people had hidden during the Eugenic Wars. The group of Star Fleet officers didn't stick out amongst the other tourists on the trekking tours in Cairngorm National Park. Tourists could make 'Treks' either by foot or by cars.

 

Some of the tourists were even from other planets in the Federation. The National Park was very famous, because of the beautiful nature and the majestic mountains, but even more because of the ruins of old castles and the history about hiding during the Eugenic Wars. The officers found it interesting too and even more so, because they now knew a bit more of the background story. The locals knew of course about the connection to Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. More than 250 years after their deaths, those two men were still famous in this part of the world.

 

As the members of the local Watson-clan and Home-clan learned about Spock's heritage, he was even more welcomed and Scotty's family welcomed Leonard and tried to get him drunk as they visited one of the local distilleries. Everybody was impressed how Khan 'could hold his liquor', and it took some time before they recognized him as the Augment, who had been thawed by Admiral Marcus. But even here they had heard about his trial and about the Ceti Eel.

 

Some local people claimed, after a few glasses of the amber liquid, that they had seen Khan's face some where before, but no one really paid attention.

 

As they after two days in the area prepared themselves to get to the airport and travel to the next place on their World-tour, one of their guides gave Spock a rather big wooden box.

 

“Whether you are a 'Home' or a 'Watson' doesn't really matter. But you are one of us and therefore you should have this box. It contains a bit of your family history...and you don't have to worry if it should get lost. You can have another. Originally – goes the history – there was only one box. Made by Hamish, Sherlock's son. But at some time several duplicates were made. I don't think any of us had read a fraction of the contents. It is after all a long time ago all this happened and we are busy people. But maybe you can find time to read some of the things in there. I can't say I have. I am not much for history apart from what I have to know to tell the tourists about Cairngorm, but there should be books and stuff to read. It is rather old-fashioned and more than a bit dusty. But since you can't ask your ancestors any more, then this might help you a bit.”

 

Spock thanked for the gift and thought that he might get time to look at it – some time. If they were not to busy surviving up there in space.

 


	9. Visiting Earth - Iowa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is a surprise....no, actually two for Jim Kirk, in Iowa, as they visit his brother Sam.

Following strict logic, it would maybe have been smarter to have visited Georgia – Leonard's chosen place - first. But George Samuel, known as 'Sam', Jim's brother, had asked them if they could visit him first.

“For reasons”, he had said – and it was all right. Leonard didn't mind at all. Because it gave him time to prepare something for when they arrived in Georgia.

______________________

Sam had had a career within the Star-Fleet as a biologist, but had decided to take a leave for some years and live on a farm in Riverside, Iowa, not far from the place, where he had grown up. His wife, Aurelan, and their 3 sons, could need some peace and quiet and unlike his mother, Sam wanted to be there, as his sons grew old enough to be able to travel with them safely, when he and Aurelan would get assigned to a new job within the Star Fleet.

In his childhood Sam had lived on a farm only a few miles away, until their mother's new husband had shown his true self and Sam had eloped, leaving the much younger Jim to live with their step-father.

Winona, their mother, had been busy following her career in the Star-Fleet, where she had reached the rank of commander in 'Science' and 'Tactics' when she was relatively young. Frank, her new husband, had told her that he didn't mind her being away that much. They could easily use her good salary and the boys were old enough to not 'be tied to their mother's apron strings' any more. And things had been all right for many years. Winona would only be away the weekdays or a fortnight the most. Very seldom a whole month, but otherwise she would be at home in the weekends. 

Only when Winona had been assigned to a job, as Jim was 12, she had been away for two years, without returning to Earth at all. They just kept connection through skyping and digital letters. Sam had been 15 then, and Frank had shown his real self, leaving the majority of the work on the farm to the two young boys, while he was busy drinking and doing a lot of favours for the rich and mighty people in Riverside. Thus making it impossible for Jim and Sam to tell how the real situation was at home. Frank deluded Winona as well, and she honestly thought that her boys were in good hands. Frank even kept it a secret that Sam had left home and 'invented' a scholarship for Sam at a High School, to explain, why he wasn't at home at the farm.

Winona didn't even discover how bad things had been, as Jim drove his father's Chevy Corvette into a ravine and barely survived the crash. But after that incident happened, she began to get an idea about things not being the way Frank had told her. Jim was 14 at that point and Sam was 18. Sam had been living with some distant relatives. And had managed to continue his education, but not on the best schools. Winona had made sure that Sam was assigned to The Star Fleet Academy in Washington DC. And Winona had discovered how Frank had treated the boys. She had been furious with Frank and had demanded a divorce. Frank lost the farm and his reputation and disappeared into the slum. And Winona had arranged for Jim to be sent away to her brother James Wimpole, who lived on Tarsus IV. But that is another story.

_________________________

The officers from Enterprise arrived on the farm early in the afternoon and began to prepare for a big barbecue. Carol had arrived the day before and she and Aurelan had been busy preparing the food for the big outdoor barbecue. And as Jim, Leonard, Khan, Sulu and his husband and daughter and Nyota, Spock , Scotty and Chekov arrived, they were all given jobs, so the out-door dinner could be ready in time.  
_________________________________

And the evening was lovely. Everybody – well almost everybody - was in a good mood and their conversations were about stars and dreams and funny stories about old friends and books and ancient films.  
And Khan had risen and looked around and said, “I think that I speak for us all, when I say that we appreciate the effort that have been put into this meal. We have, until now, visited Nyota's family and Pavel's. And we have got quite a surprise as we learned about Spock's family here on Earth and his connection to Scotty..”

At that point Scotty lifted his glass of beer and saluted Spock, who returned the salute with a small nod, as Khan continued, “....and now we are here, where I, with my captain's permission, am going to say a few words. Some of them inspired by a conversation, I had with Nyota's mother...”

And Khan nodded towards Nyota, who frowned a bit, because when had Khan had time to talk to her mother?

And Khan continued, “Here we are. A group of officers, ready in a few months to embark the 'Enterprise' and go on a 5 year journey. And a group left behind. And according to Nyota's mother we need both kinds of people. And I agree: the crazy bunch, who was sitting in the cave since ancient times, looking out and wondering what is on the other side of that wood – lake – deserts – mountains. Without those crazy people, who would risk their lives out of curiosity, we would – like the Homo Erectus – still be sitting in those caves. But.....”

And Khan looked around at the other guests, those who were not officers of the Star Fleet, “......without the other half, those who remained on this side of the wood –or the lake – or the desert – mountain...or continent – planet – Solar System – Quadrant...without you, there would not be anything to return to. Nyota's mother said that we needed both kinds of people. That this is our strength as humans, even if we have just learned how to travel in Space a few generations ago, that we do contain both qualities. It helps us to develop – and to survive as a species: those who are bat-cazy and courageous enough to leave the safe haven, and those who are brave enough to let us, the bat-crazy and courageous, leave and leave them behind..”

He caught Carol's eyes and she just gave a faint shake of her head. Khan had noticed something about her. But she didn't want to tell it to any-body yet. Spock had noticed their interaction, but chose not to let it show, that he had noticed.

“So...a toast for us all. Those who remain, so we have something to return to, and to the rest of us bat-crazy souls, who will be out there in a few months.”

And Khan made a gesture towards the sky, that was now darkening a bit. All rose and lifted their glasses towards the sky and toasted.

 

The conversation continued about everything and nothing and everybody seamed to enjoy themselves in good company.

Just – Jim was not in a good mood – because there had been another person attending the barbecue. A person who had been at the farm for several weeks, before the party had been prepared and a person, who had been to town, fetching some last items, as Jim and the others arrived. She had been the reason why Sam had asked if they could visit him first. The person was Winona, their mother. 

Sam wanted to give Jim a chance to – well not to forgive his mother – that would be a bit to much to ask – but at least have a chance to talk to her. Sam was on friendly terms with his mother – now – even more because Aurelan liked her and his three sons adored her. She was everything for them, that she hadn't been for him and especially not for Jim in their childhood. And Sam had decided to let bygones be bygones and not rip up old wounds. His mother had been very careful around him in the beginning, but this was not the first time, they had had a chance to talk to each other, and the 'tough conversation' about abandonment and neglect, they had that conversation years ago. Jim had never had the chance to talk to her – or with her. So Sam had taken the chance that something good could come of this meeting. Jim had never reached his hand out towards his mother and had avoided seeing her every time he had been back on Earth. And Winona had never dared to reach out for her youngest son. She knew how much she had hurt him.


	10. Visiting Earth - Iowa, part two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We learn more about Jim's childhood and about his stay on Tarsus IV. And Carol has something to tell Jim.

Jim had stopped as he saw his mother, but had just nodded and sort of ignored her the rest of the day and evening. But now he couldn't avoid her any more and they had positioned themselves on a bench, looking towards the small brook at the end of one of the fields and the trees surrounding it.

 

Winona spoke as the first. She didn't look at her son, just looked at the trees, “You have avoided me this afternoon and this evening. Do you want me to leave and leave you alone?”

 

She continued as she turned and looked at Jim, “I am sorry, for what it is worth – and there were so many things, that I wish I had done differently, but done is done – and I can't alter the past, no matter how much I would like to.”

 

Jim didn't say anything, except from, “Stay..” and after a few moments he looked at her and said, “Why are you here?”

 

“Sam needed me. Aurelan and the kids needed me. They have been ill and I had nothing urgent to do right now, so....”

 

Jim shook his head and said in an accusatory tone, “ _They_ needed you!? And what about me? There has been a remarkable lack of you in my life, when _I_ needed you!”

 

Winona began to speak but Jim lifted his hand and said, “Don't....don't you dare to excuse or explain. That ship has left the harbour long time ago. I just want you to listen...and then you can say something afterwards.....Or at least answer my questions. You owe me that!”

 

She just nodded and Jim continued, “Of course you were there, when I was born and how could you honestly believe it was a good idea to give birth to a child in space? And how could you abandon Sam here on Earth?”

 

Winona just looked at Jim and then she realised that he wanted an answer, and said, “It was just travelling. Not exploring and most certainly not a military vessel. But it turned out to be more than travelling despite it being just that, when we left Earth. And for abandoning Sam here...as things turned out, it was a good idea, and I had expected to be back on Earth, before I would give birth. You came much too early. I was just tending to my job – like a lot of other people did. And don't you dare to tell me that women ought to be planet-bound, just because they are pregnant! Travelling in space is safe most of the time, just like travelling here on Earth. And I had a job to do. Leaving Sam with relatives was never easy, but necessary until he was old enough to travel with us, just like all the other children belonging to officers and crew-members in the Star Fleet. He could travel with us the moment he was old enough to join the Academy. I knew it was the price I had to pay if I wanted to have children and keep my job. And it was never the intention, that he would be abandoned for more than a few months. Both your father and I accepted that we could only have short-term jobs as long as we had small children. That was the rule if both parents were within the Star fleet. The rule then - but not now, where children, if they are not babies, are allowed on the ships...and you know that, Jim.”

 

Winona wondered if Jim knew about Carol. But apparently he didn't...and it was not her job to tell.

 

Jim sat for a while and then he began to speak again, “You said 'a few months', but you left for years, when I was still a child...”

 

“I stayed on Earth and was only away a week the most, or a fortnight or even more rarely 3 weeks until you were 12, Jim. That is not 'leaving' you.”

 

“It was. You left me with Frank.”

 

“We needed the money. Your father was not captain long enough to give me a captain's pension. And back then there was still a huge difference between the pension of a Lieutenant and a Commander and a Captain. And Frank wasn't that bad then, was he? I would have seen that. And you could have told me...and would have told me, right?”

 

Jim shook his head, “No...I couldn't tell you how it was and then be alone with him the day after I had told you, how he was. As a child, mother, you don't think rationally. You just think it is the way things are supposed to be. And you adapt. So no....I would never have told you about the little things that summed up to bigger things in the end. I just adapted – just like Sam did......And then you left us for more than two years when I was 12. How could you be so blind? How could you not see through his lies? Was it too convenient? To easy? You could have called the school and have been told how Sam and I were and how often we stayed at home to work on the farm. Actually doing gown-up-men's work. It was just because we were both smart and intelligent, that we managed to get a bit of education.”

 

He sighed and covered his face with his hands, “ _Homework was waste of time',_ Frank always said and _'reading books is for sissies_ '..But I can at least give him that. He made sure I was educated, so I could survive on Tarsus IV. Before it got to bad with his drinking, he took us out of school for a week or a fortnight and taught us how to survive in the wild. How to shoot, to set up snare-traps and how to kill and skin and cook small animals. Without that knowledge I wouldn't have survived on Tarsus IV. And Frank taught me something just as important beside that. He taught me how to deceive, how to remain unnoticed, how to steal and betray the grown-ups. A skill-set that made it possible to survive on Tarsus IV as Kodos got his insane idea.”

 

Jim stopped speaking and looked at his mother with ice in his eyes, “Despite everything Frank did to me, I can at least not hate him for what he taught me.”

 

Winona had tears in her eyes as she looked at him and could just say, “Oh, Jim...I honestly thought it to be the best solution, to send you to my brother on Tarsus IV....away from Earth and from Frank and from the bad company you had gotten yourself into.”

 

“It was another of Frank's lies that you 'swallowed hook, line and sinker and all'. I was not 'in bad company'. When should I have had time for that?! I worked my ass off on that farm, attended school and had barely time to do anything else. Until I took fathers car and drove it, because I knew how to drive a lorry and a tractor, because I was doing a grown-up- man's job. But it was easier for everybody to believe Frank's lies, than to admit that they had let a child down...failed to see 'child's neglect'.”

 

Jim took a deep breath and continued, “Tarsus IV was...or could have been a good idea, if it hadn't been colonized by blind, ignorant people.”

 

Winona frowned, “What on Earth do you mean by that? My brother was an excellent farmer.”

 

“But blind.....when I, as a child, not educated much in ecological cycles, when even I could see and learn something from the nature on Tarsus IV, then the grown-ups must have either been blind or spectacular ignorant.”

 

“Explain. Please..”

 

“No one thought it weird that such a fertile planet had never had more advanced animals than fish-like creatures. Where were the mammals? The more advanced vertebrates? The climate was not harsh and the planet had only a few volcanoes, so why wasn't the planet ripe with life in abundance? Just like Earth? Well at least most places on Earth. This was more like...life on places on Earth were there were some severe limitations: steep cliffs, unstable ground, no water, harsh weather...something like that. There were a lot of insectoids and worms and fish-like creatures and a lot of plants. Even tree-like. But why did most natural life on Tarsus IV have a hibernation-phase? I lived there almost two years, mother, and that was enough for me to discover that. And I wasn't even a biologist, nor a botanist. I just observed and learned from the wild-life that no one bothered to learn about. And the grown-ups most certainly didn't want to be told anything about the natural life from that odd Kirk-kid. Not even my uncle.”

 

Jim paused and Winona said, “Tell me more please.”

 

“Well....it is not a secret any-more. Well-educated scientists from the Star Fleet landed there after the mass-murder and found out about the fungi-cycles. But it was already there to be seen, when I was there. If you just observed. It is a bit like the 17-year-cicadas on Earth. Just a symbiotic relationship with the fungi and some of the insects on Tarsus IV. Every 15 years the insects would have another phase and they would interact with the fungi. And the other animals would hibernate: the fish dig themselves into the mud, the trees 'go to sleep' and out-wait the fungi to go back into the ground together with the eggs and the larvae of the insects. Sometimes us children on the run would find those 'fish', who had forgotten to emerge last time and who would still hibernate in the mud. And we would have something uninfected to eat.”

 

Jim was silent for a moment before he spoke again, “You were not there, when we was rescued and brought back to Earth. Us ten children. I was the eldest, but even then, I could have used my mother. But as always you were absent in my life, when I needed you the most. I was still a child, mother...and traumatized.”

 

He turned towards her, “Why weren't you there? Who needed you more than I did then? And why do I even bother to ask?”

 

He sighed, “I had taken care of those children for such a long time. They were mine. I had had the responsibility for them....and I starved to make sure that the small ones had something to eat. I ate those foreign animals and plants, so the small children could have the supplies, that we stole. And that crazed-up my metabolism for a long time and gave me weird allergies, that would pop up and go away and give Bones grey hair, as he tried to figure out, what I was allergic towards and what I was not. And when we were rescued, those children were just taken away form me......at that point I would have appreciated a grown-up, who could have told them that that was not the way to treat a 'mother-hen' – me - and 'her' children. Some of the smaller ones even called me 'mum'. It was so unprofessional and unnecessary cruel to take us away from each other. I understand that their relatives wanted them....but I wasn't even allowed to say good-bye to all of them.”

 

Jim turned towards his mother and asked, “Guess who was the only one who wasn't greeted by a relative, when we returned?”

 

Winona sighed, “I know. I tried to get back to Earth when I heard about your rescue. But Jim – it was pre trans-warp-messages and before warp 4, 5 and 6 – and I couldn't ask my captain to turn his ship around, because I wanted to be on Earth. And when I finally was here, I was told that you had left and no one knew where you were...”

 

Jon shook his head, “Why do I even bother? You could just have visited your family, mom and you would have found me...”

 

“I did. You weren't there.”

 

“I was...with aunt May.”

 

“You....you were living with aunt May?”

 

“Why shouldn't I? She was everything you weren't, mom. She was there, when you weren't. She offered a home for me and Sam. Not a rich one – and in some bad neighbourhoods. But both I and Sam got our education and then I was offered a scholarship on the Star Fleet Academy – the last place I wanted to be. So I worked – earned enough money to buy a motor cycle and travelled around and got into bar fights. Because the outside pain was easier to cope with than the pain inside from rejection and neglect. Pike found me and challenged me and I made my own family..”

 

Jim made a gesture towards his officers, “I don't need you any-more, mom. I have made my own family. People, I trust with my life – and that goes for Khan too. He is so much a better person than anybody in his past and us here in his future had ever believed. I am respected for being me, and not the son of you or father. And fine, if you have found a place here with Sam and Aurelan and my nephews. I don't mind. But I don't need you in my life. I don't need you to approve of what I am doing. I don't need you. ”

 

Winona nodded and knew that she didn't have a right to interfere in Jim's life, “I know and I am so proud of you, even if you don't want to hear it – and I know that I have let you and Sam down. Maybe it was wrong to want to have children, when I was one of those bat-crazy humans suffering from the urge to travel, that Khan mentioned. Just know, Jim, that I do regret every time I wasn't there for you. I wasn't always absent in your hardest moment, though....”

 

Jim frowned, “When?”

 

“When you were dying in that hospital after having been in the Warp-core-chamber. I was sitting there, but you were unconscious most of the time. And I listened to you, during the memorial and watched on screen, when the trial against Khan was shown. I am not saying this as an excuse – I just want you to know. Even more now because Carol...”

 

And Winona stopped herself, because the look on Jim's face told her that Carol hadn't said anything yet.

 

 

 

 


	11. Visiting Earth - Iowa, part three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol reveals a surprise - and Khan tries to help Sam - and reveals a secret too.

Jim just looked at her, “...'Because Carol'...what?”

 

Winona shook her head, “I am not the one who is going to tell you....something. She should do that herself..”

 

And finally Jim realised what all those little hints, that Carol's behaviour had told him and the glances both Spock and Khan had exchanged with Carol had meant - and finally it clicked.

 

“She is pregnant?”, Jim asked with a happy expression on his face.

 

And that was the moment that Carol joined them and Winona rose and said, “I'll leave you two alone for a moment.”

 

But Jim rose and gave her a bit awkward hug, “I do not need you as a mother. Which doesn't mean that I hate you, mom. Khan's words made me think...and maybe it was wrong of you to have children, when you had that urge to travel and explore. And you did let me down.....But now that I am here, I am happy to be alive and...”

 

Winona hugged him back, “I love you too, Jim, and I am so proud of you!”

 

And then she left.

 

Jim smiled at Carol and reached out his hand for her, “Well, I think you have something to tell me?”

 

Carol smiled a bit sadly, “You must have guessed it now. Yes, I am pregnant and....”

 

“But that is wonderful...so why this worried face?”

 

“Because...because I can't come with you now and I will have manage without you and....”

 

Jim frowned, “...'without me'...I don't understand? We'll just have to find a bigger place to live, than my officer's flat in San Francisco and I'll have to find a job here on Earth and...”

 

Carol smiled and then she kissed him, “Jim, don't be an idiot. You are one of those bat-crazy people and you are going on the 5 years journey as a captain on Enterprise. Together with all your fine officers and crew-members. And I will just have to stay here....'in the cave' and...”

 

Jim frowned, “You don't want us to marry?”

 

“I do!...Oh God Jim, did you just propose? I do...but I can't leave Earth for 5 years now. And you will have to. You are the finest captain within the Star Fleet and no one would be as perfect as you....”

 

“Spock would!”

 

“No. And you know that. He is the best second-in-command anyone could ask for and every single one of your officers is doing exactly what he or she is best at doing. Well maybe apart from Khan, who could manage every job, if he wanted to. But Jim. You all are the finest crew for this job....and you are going to do that job. Even without me....Oh, Jim. I hadn't planned on being pregnant, but even in our advanced times, Mother Nature sometimes makes up her own mind. And it is fine. I will be allright and we'll skype and trans-warp-communicate as long as possible and after that I'll wait for you to return – and maybe then you could take a leave and we will be together, until you are going to make another trip. I will be fine. Women have lived like that, when they were married to sailors for centuries. And I will not be alone. Sam and Aurelan and your mother will be here for me.”

 

Jim hugged her, “It is just a word and I will stay here on Earth, you know that, right?”

She kissed him, “Yes, I know.”

 

_____________________

 

And Jim and Carol returned to the party shortly thereafter and told that they were engaged and everybody smiled and cheered.

 

Jim had a bit later a talk with his brother and was a bit worried, as his brother told him that he was thinking about leaving the farm in a year or two and go to one of the colonies, Deneva, where he and Aurelan had both been offered a lucrative appointment. Sam told he had so many problems with one of his neighbours and that they had got worse. That neighbour was one of Frank's relatives and had openly said, that Sam was to blame for Frank's disappearance and downfall.

 

Khan overheard the conversation, and something about the name, Deneva, bothered him. He walked a bit away into the garden in order to search his memory and came across something from Spock Prime's mind and then Khan went to Aurelan and asked her to fetch Sam – a bit discretely.

 

__________________________

 

When they came, Khan looked at them for a few seconds and then he said, “I am sorry for interfering and what I am going to tell you, is going to be between us. I am actually breaking a few laws by saying this.”

 

Sam nodded and Aurelan followed and then she said, “It must be very important. We'll listen”

 

Khan nodded, “During my trial on New Vulcan, a mind meld was performed by a Vulcan/human hybrid. A full Vulcan mind would maybe have lacked the plasticity that could be needed, whilst seeing the horrors in my mind. So ...the only other know human/Vulcan hybrid performed it. Selek, the Vulcan ambassador.....”

 

Sam frowned, “I thought that Spock was the only known Vulcan/human hybrid....well apart from the children born on New Vulcan now, but.....”

 

Aurelan thought she understood as Khan just looked at her and she looked at Khan, “Jim's Spock and Selek......but that is impossible.....they are the same person?!” she asked.

 

Khan smiled, “Parallel Universes. You never wondered how your science could take such a huge step forward in such a short time?”

 

Sam nodded, “I understand all of it a bit better now. That event was Nero and the attack on the newest ships of the Star Fleet. And only the Enterprise survived. But Spock the Elder was older....so time-travel as well?”

 

“We think so.....and here comes the problem. There are slight differences between Spock Prime's world and ours. I, for one thing, am different from the Khan, he knew. Even if he had to admit that the revenge his Khan took, was sort of born of Captain Kirk's and Spock's mistakes in their own universe. They had put Khan and his people on a planet that changed its orbit and it caused an ecological catastrophe, killing almost all of Khan's people. He became insane and could only think of revenge and died trying to kill Kirk and the whole crew. But even before that, as they found him in Botany bay – his ship – he was an arrogant arsehole and tried to take over their ship.”

 

And Khan smiled, “Besides, he looked different from me – and according to Spock the Elder's memory – remember it was Earth's history and not Vulcan's – but as far as Spock – Selek – remembered, the Eugenic Wars had happened at another time and 'his' Khan had been created a lot earlier, than I was in this time-line. So – not an alteration, but a different universe, where the changes want further back than to the Nero-incident.”

 

Khan took a deep breath, “But Spock Prime knows a lot of things that happened in his Universe and he can see them...well – sort of happening here as well. Not totally similar. But a lot of things almost similar anyway. And he is afraid that his knowledge can interfere and lead to unwanted outcomes. And here is another problem: a mind-meld goes both ways. So I have seen things in his mind, that I can't tell about, because I am afraid that that knowledge can be interfering with and altering our Universe.”

 

Aurelan looked at Khan, “And yet you have something to tell us?”

 

Khan nodded, “I think I might take the chance with this information. You see, this Jim Kirk – your brother – had already so much more – a different fate. Your father didn't die in the other Universe – there was no Frank – no desperate driving a car into a ravine. Tarsus IV did happen though, but the Star Fleet did arrive much earlier and the other Jim didn't have to do so much and sacrifice so much to stay alive. So – here is my point: I think this universe's Jim has gone through enough......that is why I am warning you. If you go to Deneva.....something would happen...”

“What is going to happen? - Attacks from the Romulans?”, wanted Aurelan to know.

 

“No....a parasite. And only a few of the inhabitants died because of that. Mostly people in sick-bay and science...”

 

“Our fields of work...” whispered Sam and Khan nodded.

 

“But..but..”

 

“That is what I saw in Spock Prime's mind. His worry about his Jim's mental health as his Jim lost his brother, his sister-in-law and his nephews......”

 

Aurelan nodded, “Then we are not going....and I understand that we can't warn people?”

 

Khan shook his head, “No. It would change too much. That you stay alive might change something too. But not that much. Time and events are a bit like rubber-bands. But they can only be stretched that much...”

 

Sam shook his head, “But we still might have to move to another place. Our neighbour...”

 

Khan smiled, “May I talk to him?”

 

Sam nodded, “But I don't think that it will work after you have left..”

 

Khan laughed, “Oh my. Not like that. Not 'talk to him' as in threatening him. I was a very skilled diplomat, you know. If I hadn't been, my countries wouldn't have thrived under me. And they did, despite what the history books described. No...I will visit him and find out what is wrong and maybe offer a solution you both can live with.”

 

Aurelan smiled, “If you manage that, I will surely believe that you are a skilled diplomat. Both I and his wife have tried......and in vain. My Sam can be just as stubborn as his little brother.”

 


	12. Visiting Earth - Iowa, part four

Khan knocked at the door belonging to the neighbour's farm a few minutes later. He had not bothered starting a vehicle, but had just ran over there. As he was standing there, he wasn't even a bit out of breath and his temperature had barely risen.

 

A woman opened the door and Khan smiled politely, “I am sorry Ma’am, but I am afraid that we might be a bit disturbing this evening. With a bit of loud music and voices. But we are having a farewell-party and I hope that we are not too disturbing?”

 

She frowned, “Where?”

 

Khan made a gesture towards Sam's farm, “At your neighbour's....Oh I am sorry. My name is Commander Khan, member of the Star-Fleet, and we are visiting Sam Kirk, Captain Jim Kirk's brother.”

 

“I know who you are. I saw the trial on New Vulcan on the telly. Please come in.”, the woman made a gesture to welcome Khan and he entered the house.

 

In the living-room he was welcomed by a man, only a bit older than Samuel Kirk. He had gotten up from his chair and was limping a bit as he came closer to Khan and shook his hand.

 

“Do yo want a beer...or have you had enough - and would like something else?”, asked the man and continued, “By the way, this is my wife Martha and I am William. Do sit down, please.”

 

Khan nodded and said, “A beer would be nice. It is after all a warm evening.” and he sat down and accepted the beer with a 'thank you' as Martha gave him one. Khan saw no reason to tell that alcohol wouldn't affect him.

 

The man lifted his beer and said, “Cheers......and no, you are not too noisy...but I don't understand your lot.”

 

Khan frowned, “Who?”

 

“You...all you officers and ensigns and all the rest of you. Why do you want to leave our solar-system? Well maybe I can understand if you have to go to another planet – to trade or to live there. But you lot – you are leaving known areas and heading out into trouble. Why? As if there is not room enough in known places. As far as I know there is still plenty of room on your new planet – New Vulcan – so why leave?”

 

Khan lifted his beer and nodded. Then he smiled after he had taken a sip, “Because human's strongest feature, that gained us/you room between all the space-travelling species, and that after we had just entered space-travel 200 years prior and after we had discovered metals and agriculture only 8000 years ago, is that we have both those individuals that remained in the village and made a safe place to return to, for those bat-crazy versions of us – and I include us 'Human Augmenti' in that group as well – after all, we did descend from you – those bat-crazy versions, who wanted to know that was on the other side of the mountains. Because without those, who remained, there wouldn't be a safe place to return to. And without those, who left, we would still be sitting in caves, poking to the bonfires with a stick.”

 

William nodded, “Well – maybe you are right. I still don't understand you. And you, Commander Khan. Hadn't you met challenges enough – before – and on your planet?”

 

“Before?”

 

“Well....it wasn't a secret, what happened to you, when you were thawed and Marcus – may his name be damned forever..”

 

William stopped, when he saw the confusions on Khan's face, “You don't think that we didn't know anything about you, did you? Well first the explosions in London and the attack in San Francisco...and then the crash with the Vengeance. And then all the rest that had been dug out, about the things Marcus did...and his men and then the Ceti Eel. It was quite a lot on the telly, you know. And in the news on the net.”

 

Khan could only shake his head, “I didn't know – not that I was famous here on Earth.”

 

Martha smiled, “It is just because William finds everything about Star Fleet so damned interesting. He even has your book. In several copies.”

 

Khan looked a bit confused, “My book?”

 

William nodded, “The one you wrote, 'Pax Romana II' – mandatory in the Star Fleet Academy and......”

 

“Commander Khan..”, interrupted the woman, “....my husband loves almost everything about the Star Fleet and is a bit obsessed...”

 

William shrug his shoulders, “And I can never join, because of this...”And he pointed at his left foot as he continued, “.....people with prosthetics are not allowed...”

 

Khan nodded in understanding, “It might change. Just like Augments were not allowed before....and now are.”

 

He looked interested at the man's foot, “You do know that they are close to make limbs regrow?”

 

William nodded, “I know. But this happened, when I was a child. And since it is such a long time ago, it would take more than 5 years before it would be an acceptable foot. No...I'll stick to my artificial foot and it is all right and not so limiting. Just....I couldn't get into the Academy and had to find something else to do. My uncle had this farm and I chose a life here. And it is good. If it wasn't for that stubborn mule of a brother to your captain!”

 

Khan frowned, “What is wrong?”...and he decided that he did need to hear William's version of the case as well.

 

“Oh Will, you are just as stubborn as he is. One as bad as the other. If you only would sit down and talk.....But maybe a fresh pair of eyes can help, instead of you two stubborn mules yelling at each other..” said Martha.

 

“Mules do not yell..”, mumbled William as he walked towards the bookshelves to fetch two things. A book and an old-fashioned folder.

 

“Here...a real paper-version of your book. It is yours, if you want it, Commander Khan. Unless you already have a lot of copies?” he said, as he returned.

 

Khan frowned and turned the book in his hand, “No..I don't and thank you. Wow. Real paper. But don't you need it yourself?”

 

Martha smiled, “He has more than 10 versions of that book. So he can spare one.”

 

Khan smiled back, “I can at least sign them, if you want me to..”

 

“Oh that would be very nice of you”, said William and then William showed him the contents of the folder. Old maps. Several of them on paper and some on plastinette. He pointed and showed and compared the maps with each other as he explained.

 

A part of the land Sam owned had a natural spring and a brook. And it was close to some of William's fields. William showed old maps where that particular piece of land did belong to William's farm and not Sam's.

 

“Normally it doesn’t matter that much, but look here. When there is a drought...the water drains from my fields because of the geology and ends up feeding the spring and the brook, that used to belong to this farm. Look! My fields get dry and he gets all the water. And Sam refuses to listen to me!”

 

Martha was sitting at the table and pointed at another map, “And if you had played your cards wisely and had mentioned this first, instead of the two other faults on the maps, that forced Sam to give you back two other parts of what he thought he had bought, then he wouldn't have refused to listen to you.”, explained Martha.

 

And continued, “He gave you back the first piece without complaint. The second few meters more reluctantly and the last piece you wanted, he right out refused and said the maps were wrong. Of course he did. He must have felt you would never stop claiming pieces of his land.”

 

Khan smiled, “It is a bit weird that you can own land, isn't it. Like 'own air' or 'own clouds'...”

 

“Says the man who owned one third of the world”, remarked William.

 

Khan shook his head, “I didn't 'own' all that land...nor the people. It was my responsibility to take care of the states. To make them function the best ways, with maximum happiness for the majority of the people there. But I didn't 'own' it. I actually only owned a few things: books and clothing. But not land...Not even buildings.”

 

William didn't say anything. He was a bit ashamed of what he had said...and it was Martha who remarked something, “....I think, William, that Khan just summed up, why he was so different from Ferris and the other Augments....”

 

William looked at Khan, “I am sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. And all the later sources did show that the history books were wrong, when they told about you...”

 

Martha interrupted, “It is always the winners, who write the history books...”

 

And William pointed towards his shelves, “...and despite everything that my books might show, a lot of material was lost or destroyed during the Eugenic wars. Some compares the loss of knowledge and historical material to the burning of the library of Alexandria, but maybe it was worse.”

 

Khan smiled, he had suddenly got an idea, “May I borrow your computer?”, he asked and as he was given permission, he began searching, as he said, “Rumours said, that even if the library did burn down in 47 BC and more than 700.000 works were lost, there were copies of those works in other big cities and a lot of it survived for centuries. And so did a lot of the knowledge on Earth after the eugenic Wars. Thanks to the foresight...or the paranoia... of one single man in the 20 th and 21 st century.”

 

William had gotten up and was standing behind Khan, looking at the screen as well, “I have heard rumours about it, but never could get it confirmed.”, he said.

 

Khan nodded, “It is true. And it is a bit strange, because Commander Spock and Commander Scott had family-connections to a small town in Scotland, close to the national Park, where descendants of that man did hide during the Eugenic wars. Both commanders are even related to that man – and that man's brother – Spock on his mothers side. And Scott on both sides.”

 

While he had spoken, Khan had worked on the computer and had got access to hidden files and he smiled as he found what he was looking for.

 

“Look”, he said as he pointed at the screen, “Here are the original maps, from before the wars. We just have to zoom in on them..”

 

And he did that as he spoke. William and Martha were just too baffled to look at the screen. Finally William asked, “How did you know how to get access to those files? And what was the name of that man?”

 

Khan was busy and just answered, never expecting the impact his answer would have, “That man? He was a inspiration for me, while I was writing my book. Great Britain was a democracy back then – and yet not. That man ruled Great Britain so to say 'behind the curtains' together with two other persons. That makes the type of government an 'oligarchy'. His name was Mycroft. Mycroft Holmes. And he died long before the Eugenic wars, but not before he had secured as much knowledge as possible. On old computers that were kept functioning. On printed paper and on microfilm. Almost all of it in English of course. He used almost all of his personal wealth on this project. And began almost 30 years before the wars. That is why I use the word 'paranoid' about him. He must have anticipated something going down the gutters for a long time. He managed to preserve about 10% of most of the contents during the years. Tit-bits and important stuff mingled together. But nearly all of it in English.”

 

Khan looked up and saw how William and Martha looked at him. William was the first to speak, “You have relatives of the famous detective 'Sherlock Holmes' amongst your crew?”

 

Khan frowned, “Yes. Both Commander Scott and Commander Spock are descendants. 'William Sherlock Scott Holmes' was the full name and some of the children took the name 'Scott' and some of them 'Holmes'....and yes Sherlock Holmes was married to a man, but he had a biological son with a woman as well. But right now the most interesting part is the knowledge, that Mycroft Holmes did preserve.”

 

Martha smiled, “You are right. It is just....just as possessed William is about Star-fleet, I am rather fond of those old detective stories from the 20 th and 21 st century. Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers....and then the stories Doctor Watson wrote about 'Sherlock Holmes' before they both became 'Watson-Holmes'. The books are not here. They are in the other living-room.”

 

Khan frowned, “I have to admit that I never read one single of them. I was too busy..” and he smiled.

 

And then they looked at the screen together – all three of them. And Khan pointed and explained. And saw a solution too.

__________________________

 

What they found made them come to the party at Sam's farm about half an hour later. With two barrels of Williams famous apple-cider that people were prepared to pay a lot for – mostly in old books – because William didn't want credits for it – when local markets were held.

 

William didn't hesitate. He went straight to Sam, held his hand out and said, “I owe you the biggest apology. Khan showed me the old original maps. And some time between the Eugenic wars and now, someone had tampered with the maps. The brook and the spring do belong to your land. And I even owe you a bit of my land as well. I am deeply sorry....”

 

Sam shook his hand, “I am glad we can stop being enemies. And I owe you an apology as well. For not listening to you.”

 

And then Khan interrupted and showed the two men a solution to the problem. A solution that could help Sam as well. On a part of Sam's fields – close to the brook – a well could be drilled and serve both farms with a lot of water. Mostly for William, but Sam would be able to grow more water-demanding crops too.

 

As the party progressed, Sam and William found the beginning of a friendship, and Sam even suggested that William could apply for a job at the Star Fleet Academy as a history teacher.

“They are much needed now. As if was discovered that a lot of what we thought to be the truth – especially about Khan and his augments – were so tarnished by the actions of Ferris and the Augments from Europe. We will have to re-write a lot of history-books.”, he said.

 

And Aurelan and Martha found that they liked each other as well, as soon as all the misunderstandings had been solved.

 

________________________

 

The next day, as the last guests left the farm, Aurelan and Sam was standing looking at the last cars leaving. Jim had had time to speak a bit more with his mother and they had agreed on – well not exactly a 'warm connection' - but at least a decent one and Winona and Sam had promised to be there for Carol, as Jim would not be able to be there. Carol wouldn't be allowed to be on the Enterprise on its 5 year journey. Maybe an old-fashioned law within the Star Fleet – and maybe a law that needed to be changed. 

 

As Khan had pointed out, “How would 'they' prevent females in getting pregnant whilst on a journey? So why can't Carol be with her boyfriend, when it is only a question of couple of months?”

 

Jim had frowned and asked, “A couple of months?”

 

“Well surely. On board the Enterprise. Living with Carol in a relationship. Don't you think she would have gotten pregnant then? You hadn't planned on living in celibacy, had you?”

 

And Jim had blushed a bit, because of course they hadn't.

 

Jim had asked Carol once more if she was sure about him leaving, and she had assured him that it was the right decision.

 

Khan had heard their conversation and had suggested something that they could only full-heartedly support. It still had to be a secret a few days still. Khan had planned something when they would reach their next destination – Georgia – but he didn’t want Leonard to know anything yet.

 

He had told Sam, Aurelan and Winona to mark a few days in the calender about 14 days ahead and asked them if they would join them in India, before the crew would travel to the space port and leave Earth and embark the Enterprise. Not totally leaving the Quadrant yet. A few things should be tested before the final 5-year voyage. But they would not return to Earth, before they would head out into the unknown.

 

 


End file.
